The Raven Paradox
by Devil's proof
Summary: TT, Time Travel!Sakura, young!Sakura, Sakura-Centric.  It seemed too convenient that a wormhole opened up in the middle of a war and sucked her in. Now she is stuck with a bad case of vertigo and suspicious ninjas.
1. Lenore?

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto. (had to revise a bit)

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_Chapter I : All Ravens are Black_

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Sakura felt her body being pulled apart into different directions. Limbs stretched and pulled, skin thinned, muscle strings seemed to strain and rip. Tendons snapped off from their joints. Her heart fluttered in her chest, threatening to disappear. She tried to curl into herself, but the raging winds restrained her, whistling around her, rupturing through her already abused eardrums.

Her throat constricted, fifty pairs of muscles and nerves refusing to cooperate.

Her eyes throbbed and stung. She wanted to desperately close her them but her eyelids would not obey her. Hair whipped around her face. There was nothing around her, she could not even see passed her nose, just a empty abyss and roaring winds. She could not remember why she was here or how she even came to be.

_She was..somewhere..God! It hurt! All of her. Rewinding voices, reverse speech. Flashes behind her eyes. She wanted it to stop, to halt. To let her head catch up. _

Biting cold rushed through her veins, like bulky daggers ripping through flesh. Heat bubbled from the pit of her abdomen. Hot white pain pulsed from the her fingertips and toes. Cramps escalated all over her head.

_She had to stop it now. Make it go away somehow. _Instinct came to her and her hand shot out forward as if reaching for something she could grasp. She abruptly felt her weight and limbs jerked downward. Plummeting, she felt something within her smash into an invisible force. It seemed to bulge from one side to the other like water balloon before it burst from the pressure that caught up with her. Something snapped and she hit the ground hard.

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Sakura's eyes snapped open, immediately regretting it as bright light burned her retinas. She lurched forward, hacking and coughing. She could distinctly hear a frantic voice asking her what was wrong, but the coughing prevented her from even acknowledging who was asking. Her fingers dug themselves into the soil, her heart rammed itself against her chest, drumming in her ears, threatening to squirm its way up her throat. Soon the coughing ceased and she sat up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Her throat was raw and parched from the violent coughing. Her insides felt like they were swimming and her lungs felt like they been ripped from their place. She feared they might have from the force that ripped through her throat. The pit of her stomach ached and brought an upsetting feeling.

Then she sensed it, two chakra signatures. One seemed to crackle next to her, sending prickling sensations across her bear arm. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and goosebumps crawl down her form. She whipped her head around and found Sasuke Uchiha sitting next to her, giving her a strange look.

_Wha.._

"Sakura, are you alright?" a gentle hand landed on her shoulder making her jump and reach for their throat. Sakura looked wide-eyed into the scared eyes of Naruto. His hand frozen in mid-air. It took her a second to realize where the second chakra signature came from. His seemed to slap against her hand, like a rapidly spinning sprinkler. Except it was not water, no it was wind and something else...raw powerful chakra.

"_Kyuubi.._" she breathed to herself, mentally kicking herself when Naruto visibly flinched. She then narrowed her eyes and pulled away as if he burned. She felt her heart ache in her chest when a hurt look flashed on his face, but immediately squashed it and quickly scrambled away from them.

"_W-who are you!_" she snarled at them."Who the _hell_ do you think you are! Tricking me!" she pointed a kunai at them.

Naruto and Sasuke looked taken aback. Naruto was the first to snap out of it. He raised his hands up, voice laced with concern. "it's us, Sakura. No ones tricking you."

Even after she hurt his feelings, he still tried to help her. Sakura gritted her teeth. How _dare_ they impersonate Naruto! It angered her further. "You think this is funny! _Do you_!" Well it was not and they even failed to do so. Naruto was not twelve years old anymore. He was sixteen. His birthday was two months ago. She smirked, they could not even get that right. She looked over at the Sasuke and narrowed her eyes into slivers.

He severed his ties with the village, with his friends. His presence made her that stupid emotional greedy girl, who could not lift a kunai to save herself. Who had barreling all the burden on Naruto into trying to bring him back and Naruto had been doing that for her, even now. Even after she stung his heart. Even after all she could do was watch Naruto's innocence slip passed his fingers. He never smiled before, not like he use to. Most of his smiles are strained and empty, she would know. She gave them too much nowadays.

When she made the decision of killing off Sasuke herself, she thought it was for the best. To get rid of the burden so Naruto did not have to. However she did not really expect for Sasuke to take her own weapon and raise it at her, preparing to strike in for the kill, even after acknowledging it was an old friend of his.

"Sakura, please.." she snapped her eyes back at the blond and for the first time noticed where she was. She was at the old team seven training grounds. Back in her more quieter and calmer days, waiting for Kakashi and not another shoe to drop. When there was not a raging vigilant anti bigot spilling blood to prefect his 'Eye of the Moon' plan. When there was not a fourth ninja war tearing through north of Konoha or old friends being used as soldiers without volition.

A gentle breeze picked up and her long hair swayed with it.

_Wait long hair.._

She tentatively reached out to touch it and dropped her kunai. 'Kai' she mouthed, nothing changed. The genjutsu did not dissipate, not even a flicker. She was not sure if this was a trick anymore. Her hair was long again. She was back in her childhood again. She was back to that girl she tried so hard to outgrow. She dashed past the boys and dropped on her knees at the edge of the river bank. She had to know, she had to make sure it was not some sick trick. She clenched her eyes shut and counted to three in her head.

She opened her eyes and there staring back at her was utterly terrified twelve year old self.

_No, no this can't be right._

She shut her eyes again and counted under breath, but was met with the same shaking eyes. She tried again and again, over and over, until she yelled at her reflection. She gripped her dress, stretching the fabric under her deathly white knuckles. But her cries did not sound more than cracked squeaks. She felt her throat constrict and tears burn in the back of her eyes.

"S-Sakura? Please tell me what's wrong." she look over and saw that Naruto reaching to touch her, but felt a tear escape when he immediately pulled back as if he was ashamed to. She felt young Sasuke's signature on the other side of her. She looked at him, he was kneeling next to her, looking a bit tense. Without much thought, she reached over and touched his head. He gave her a confused look, but did not pull away. Sakura faintly smiled.

His innocence was still there, not much of it, no, not since his brother betrayed him but his eyes were not as cold as they were when he aimed to kill her. She let her hand fall to his cheek, where she caressed the back of his ear. She giggled when he gave her an incredulous look, but narrowed her eyes dangerously when her hand landed on his neck, where Orochimaru would brand him and all this blood shed would unfold.

"_You're real.._"

He did nothing but stare at her for a moment, as if trying to read her and shrugged her hand off his shoulder.

"Sakura..?"

She looked back at Naruto and frowned when he looked at the grass and avoided looking at her. She leaned forward, trying to capture his eyes. His eyes locked with hers and his cheeks redden when he noticed their close proximity.

"Are you feeling better?" she could not help but to smile. Always worried about her. She reached over and palmed his cheek, frowning at the bruise that laid under it. His eyes widen in surprise as hers burned in sorrow. Why was this such a surprise. Why could she not have been more kinder to him. Why did she blow him off and call him stupid all the time._ "I'm sorry Naruto." _she whispered.

"Huh? What do _you_ got to be sor-" she laced her arms around his neck and brought him into her. Sakura felt his body stiffen and bit her lip. She closed her eyes and sniffed his neck.

"Sakura, a-are you smelling my neck?" he seemed to sputter out.

"Hmmm" she rested her chin on his shoulder. He smelled like stale milk and baby oil. She decided she liked it better when his hygiene improved in her time-line.

Her eyes snapped open and she pulled away. _God! Her time-line, she left her squad to fight! The war! _

"Ah! Sakura! Your ears are bleeding!" Naruto's cries alarmed her. She felt the Sasuke's crackling signature shift closer to her as well as Naruto's, who repeatedly slapped against her skin. They were too much for her. She suddenly stood up and cursed her dress when it got in her way. She stumbled forward. She felt herself being turned and noticed Sasuke standing in front of her, grabbing by her shoulders at arms length. He seemed to be saying something at her, but she could not hear. His eyes looked scared as did Naruto's.

She pulled away from both of them yelling at them that she was fine, but she did not know her own volume. Vertigo hit her like a plague and she felt herself being pulled towards the ground. Heart palpitations overwhelmed her. Her head connected with sharp pain and she saw black.

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_End of Chapter I_

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This would be my first Naruto story and I will continue, I can certainly assure that. Scorn Which Turns Yellow will continue, even if I only got three reviews. But no fretting! I'll continue.

I want to grate fully thank the authors who took time and reviewed, favorited for Scorn Which Turns Yellow.

Don't own the characters, just the story.

I direct you to my bio for a message, if you would be so kind.

And if your confused or its seems like everything is on loose ends, don't worry. Just know everything is connected and every action has a consequence, whether bright or dark.


	2. Darkness there and Nothing More

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto. (Long-ish Chapter)

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_Chapter II: Everything that is not Black is not a Raven._

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Her head was pounding. Intense tension in her temples. Her arms and legs felt like they were being probed with pins and needles. Nothing registered in her mind at the moment only soft buzzing, which seemed to amplify as she became aware of her surroundings.

Stale disinfectant infiltrated her nose and she groaned. Sheets rustled, beeping thrummed within the chambers of her ears. _Hospital? _Her mind hummed. She tried to open her eyes but doing so was impossible. It was as if someone had tied weights on them. Relaxing her body, she willed them again, wincing when light blinked through the cracks. She gritted her teeth and forced them open, yelping at the illuminated white room.

Sakura covered her face with her hands and blinking away the greenish spots that danced in her vision. Peeking between her fingers every so often to lessen the discomfort. She eventually let her arms fall to her sides and took in her surroundings. Her clothes laid across from her; bundled up in a large brown paper bag. Big shiny helium balloons hovered in the air, tied down to a large fluffy stuffed bear.

_Parents.._

She eased herself up almost faltering at how jelly her muscles felt. She propped her pillow against the headboard. Carefully untangling the IV cord that was connected to her arm and stretched her legs out gratefully as she settled her back against the broad.

_How long have I been here..._ Her gaze fell on a purple vase with wilted red and yellow lilies. She reached over and brushed her thumb against a shriveled petal. She wrenched her hand back when she felt a spark pinched the tip of her finger.

"Ow." she winced, bringing her finger into her mouth and glared at the flower. She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the sudden foul odor in the air. She paused, _That can't be me, right?_ she cupped her nose and mouth, sniffed and jerked her head back in disgust."Ugh...my breath." she griped.

She sat there with a blank look; staring at nothing in particular, lost in her thoughts. _Lilies usually last longer. Even after they are cut. So I'd say I have been here for quite a while. _Unless someone thought it was funny and gave her dead flowers instead to throw her off. But why? Why was she _here_ of all places. There was this unsettling feeling that churned her gut,_ screaming_ at her that she was missing something.._some vital detail_.

Sakura stiffened, feeling what could be described as fingers poking her back. Faint energy around her, lightly brushing against her skin. She shuddered and clenched her eyes shut. Hands gripped the sheets as she fought hard to remember. She envisaged the room she was currently in. The imaged flickered and the room began to change into another scene. Paint peeled off the walls, dispersing into the air and revealing a forest behind them. Grass crawled and sprouted between the crevices of the floors, consuming the ground completely. Two black eyes stared back at her.

"_Oho, Kakashi's little kunoichi's all grown up. Is that brat doing well?"_

A nasty pain shot through the back of her spine and she tumbled off the bed, clipping her shoulder on the side of the nightstand. She crashed on the hard floor, the purple vase not far behind. Shards strewed, pungent water quickly soaking up her gown. Quickly, she scrambled to her feet. Shards tore into her palms, smearing blood on the floor. Her feet stepped on the IV cord and ripped it from her arm. Vertigo washed over her and she felt herself stumble over her own feet, her bony knees collided with the floor and her head smashed into the wall across her. Sakura stood there on all fours, vision blurring and tension headache pounding tenfold.

_God, nothing goes right. _Her hand reached for arm of the plastic chair next to her and gripped it tight. She pulled her head away from the cracked wall and shook off the chunks of debris that clung to her hair. With trembling legs she managed to hoist herself up and off the floor.

Sakura eased herself into the chair and proceeded to pull the shards out with shaky hands. She felt tears rise when her sweaty fingers could not pull out the large shard embedded in her foot. She ripped off a piece of cloth from her soaked gown and bit into it, ignoring the rotten stench. _I am twelve again_. She thought sadly, _it wasn't a dream after all, I am still here_. She sighed, throwing the offensive shard across the room and spat out the cloth. Cursing at her inability to stay stable. With shaky legs and a bleeding foot, she reached the desk across the room and quickly gripped the edge. She yanked the paper bag toward her, wincing at the racket it made and pulled out her clothing, slipped it on and discarding her hospital gown.

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Sakura knelt down on the other side of her bed, facing the window. She slipped off her shoe and hovered her hand over the laceration on her foot. She had yet to clean up her mess on the other side of the room, but as of now she did not care much to do so. Her eyebrow raised the moment she felt a strange tug in her abdomen the second she called for her chakra. She heard the door creak open and ducked down.

"Oh my God!" came a voice. Sakura looked from under the bed, watching a pair of frenzied white shoes run out the door and disappear down the hallway. She had to leave the hospital quickly, she could not risk being questioned by anyone and she needed time alone to figure this out. No doubt she will be under the scrutinizing eye of Kakashi. She slid the window open and could not help but to smiled when the wind hit her face. Sakura perched herself on the window sill and moved to jump, but found she could not mold her chakra into the soles of her feet and fell forward.

She quickly snapped her hand out and caught herself. Her body jerked as her weight swung below her. She gritted her teeth, ignoring the startled cries from below. Swinging a leg upward, she planted it firmly against the stucco wall and strained her arms upward to lift herself over the sill. The tear on her foot tore open again from the strain. Her cheeks huffed and redden from the exertion.

She pressed her palms against the walls of her room and propelled herself forward. She climbed down and slumped against the floor, trying to control her breathing.

_How can this be? I can't call on my chakra? _She lifted her fist and slammed it against the floor. Painful vibrations shot up her arm, tickling her nerves for a brief second. She looked down in panic, she did not make a single dent.

_I-I lost my abilities?_ All those years working with Tsunade. All the blood sweat and tears. She was back where she started. Her throat constricted and tears of frustration burned in her eyes.

_No! I can't wallow in self-pity now. I have to leave._

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Kakashi watched Naruto pace back and forth. The moment they entered the lobby it was arms crossed and stiff strides. Kakashi scratched his head. He had started several quarrels with medic-nins who refused to give him note on Sakura only to have a irate Sasuke bash him over the head. Which was odd considering he usually just snarled a remark.

The situation must have really left him more tense than he would care to admit. He watched Sasuke on the corner of his eye, sitting there glaring at nothing in particular. His eye twitching ever so often when Naruto passed his line of vision.

The minute Kakashi arrived to the training grounds he immediately could tell something was amiss. He expected _'You're late!' _from two shrill voices followed by a grunt, but what he got was something that would scar him for the rest of his life.

_Kakashi's shoulders tensed as he round the corner and stopped dead. A few feet away from him, Naruto was desperately begging a deathly pale Sakura to wake up, who lay on the grass facing the sky. A bright angry laceration on the side of her forehead. Her hair matted with blood that gushed from the wound. _

_Sasuke kneeled stock still next to Naruto staring at the trauma with glassy eyes. Kakashi was instantly at Sakura's side, disturbed by her open eyes. Emerald eyes dulled and glazed. He felt his stomach drop, his student was dead._

"_Sakura!" Naruto cried, "Wake up! Please." his sobs wracked his body. He clutched her hand in his as if that would keep her from leaving them. Kakashi felt his throat constrict. He hated himself, if he did not act incompetent all the time. Actually cared to come early she would still be 'here'._

_Kakashi was about to tell Naruto to stop when he noticed her neck artery twitch. He lifted her wrist and felt for a pulse. He let out a breath he did not know he was holding when he found a one, albeit faint, but they had to hurry, she was not breathing and it would take about less than a minute before her brain became deprived of oxygen._

_He slipped his arms under her and rose with her. Naruto watched him with tears in his eyes, Sasuke looked lost._

"_Is she alive?" his voice cracked. Kakashi looked down at his students and his eye softened._

"_Yes, but we have to move quickly. I don't know how much longer she will last." Kakashi moved to run when a gleam caught his eye. He looked down and found a small jagged rock coated in blood._

Naruto had stormed into the hospital crying for help and instantly were swarmed by white coats. Snatching the blush-haired girl and disappearing behind those doors. This had been two weeks ago. She had fallen into a coma the minute she was brought here and has not woken up since.

He could only get a gist of what happen from a hysterical Naruto and a distant Sasuke. She had woken up, coughing violently, had some sort of _nervous breakdown_ and got a bad case of vertigo.

They had visited everyday day after training, but training had not been the same without Sakura. It felt sort of empty. Naruto was not as lively as he use to be and Sasuke...well Sasuke was distracted. Kakashi came out the worse. Sakura's trauma managed to plague him with dreams of Rin's and Obito's death.

Dark bags rimmed under his eye from the lack of sleep in the past two weeks was a testament of that. It seemed that until Sakura wakes, his sleep will return. Which he hoped it is soon. The Chūnin exams registration are mid this week and without Sakura they do not qualify to participate.

_I haven't even told them about the Chūnin exams period._

The doctor ran tests on her and would receive the results in two weeks. Meaning they would arrive this week. Kakashi had encountered Sakura's parents who were struck with grief over their daughter. Asuma and his team had also come by. Their female teammate hugging a purple vase with red and yellow lilies.

"Would you stop pacing! You're driving me insane!"

Kakashi looked at Sasuke who had sprung from his seat and was towering over a frighten Naruto. Kakashi sighed, this was going to get ugly. Naruto's expression harden and he jabbed an accusing finger at his chest.

"Well for one! I am worried _unlike_ you! You don't care about Sakura! So why don't you do us a favor and leave!"

The entire lobby had gone silent watching the exchange. "Yeah you heard what I said_ leave_!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed into slits and got in his face. "_Don't tell me what to do_." he snarled every word. Naruto narrowed his own, red consuming his blue iris.

Kakashi appeared right behind them the moment they reached for their kunais and grabbed them from the back of their shirt, ripping them apart. He lifted them both off the ground and dipped his head between them.

"This is not a time nor place to start this crap." his voice was dangerously low, even surprising himself. "So you either deal with it another way or I will deal with you myself."

Naruto gulped while Sasuke just scowled. Kakashi sighed "Naruto, I understand if you are worried. I am too, but you have to be patient with the them. And!-" he cut him off from saying anything when he opened his mouth to protest "you have to be patient with Sakura. She is fighting the best she can."

"And _you_." he locked eyes with the scowling Uchiha. "At least pretend you want to be here and next time don't come here without your own volition." he leaned closer and whispered to him. "_I know that deep down you care for your teammate so cut the cool attitude crap_ _and get that stick out your ass_." he growled, man he really needed sleep.

"Quick! There has been a kidnapping! The patient from B13 has been taken!"

Kakashi's head snapped up._ That was Sakura's room number_. He dropped the boys and strode toward the frantic nurse, ignoring the groans and curses. He stepped up to the front desk, where the woman on the other side was frantically punching in numbers.

"You said B13? Sakura Haruno." the young woman turned to him and nodded. Kakashi clenched his jaw and bolted down the hall. Metal doors exploded off their hinges and out of the dust emerged Kakashi. It would have been melodramatic to those who would have seen it, but the thought did not register in his mind. Chakra pulsated from his soles as he avoided the stairwell and sprinted up the walls. Blurring passed medics and doors, vaguely aware that Naruto and Sasuke were trailing after him. He skidded to a halt and kicked Sakura's door open. Alarms went off in his head as he surveyed the room. Bed sheets thrown askew like she was dragged out of bed kicking and screaming. The nightstand slightly moved forward. The vase a crumbled heap on the floor. His eyes immediately drawn to the blood smeared on the floor.

Naruto skidded into the room, almost slipping on the spilled water. "Wha! Where is Sakura!"

"Looks like there was a struggle." Sasuke stopped at the doorway. "Couldn't protect herself like always. Tch what a waste of time."

Naruto snapped his head towards his direction. "I meant what I said bastard. If you don't care just _leave_."

"And I told you not to tell me what to do." he approached the blond dangerously.

"Enough!" Kakashi barked.

He noticed the large crater on the wall next to Sasuke. A bloody hand-print just above it. _She must have been yanked from bed, there was a struggle and someone's head impacted that wall. They tried to gather themselves up._ Eying the dewdrops that pooled from under the bloodied arm chair. _But what I don't understand is why._

"What are we waiting for! We need to save her!" Naruto jumped over the bed and climbed the window. Kakashi dashed toward him and caught him by the collar.

"Not so fast Naruto. We can't assume that she was taken."

"Are you telling us that you think she _left_?" Sasuke gave him an incredulous look.

"The IV on the floor, she ripped off her arm, but I don't believe her that restless so it was an accident." He stared at the small bloodstain on the pillow. "She must have tried move, but fell off the bed, anyone would in her condition." _she just woke up from a two week coma for God's sakes._ "She must of tried to get up, but fell, tangled herself up and crashed on that wall." he nodded towards the dent.

The blond stared at him with his mouth agape. "But then why did she leave? That is so unlike Sakura."

"Yes, it is _very_ unlikely she would want to cause trouble or make others worry for her."

"Are you saying she is trying to _avoid_ us?"

Kakashi nodded, giving Naruto the silent confirmation and watched him flash from sight."Sasuke follow him and scout for Sakura. When you find her bring her to the Hokage tower. We are going to have a serious chat." Kakashi jumped out the window just in time to see Sasuke disappear across the roofs.

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_A few minutes earlier._

Sakura was jumping on the bed like maniac, her fingertips barely brushing the ceiling tiles. A sudden explosion startled her, rattling the ceiling above her. She crouched down, shielding her head with both hands.

_What was that?_

She looked up and found that the ceiling tile had moved slightly, leaving enough space to slip her fingers and push it aside, but she found she could not reach the edge. Her eyes lit up and were immediately drawn to the barred headboard, she strode forward and mounted the broad, her feet relatively uncomfortable, holding up her full weight.

She reached for the ceiling and pushed the tile further back and jumped off the headboard, grabbing on to the edge. With all the force she could muster, she pulled herself up and entered the dusty domain. She plopped down and curled her legs toward her chest, sliding the tile back into its place.

Dust swirled around her bringing her a fit of uncontrollable sneezes and painful coughs. _Man, they should seriously consider scrubbing this down. This is were the worse disease develop. _

She rolled on all fours and crawled down the reflective corridor, about to cross over a vent when the to door to her room burst open. A stronger and larger crackling signature entered the room below her, sending her hair into standing frenzy. Static snapped around her.

_Oh God forbid_ she mentally groaned. Then a familiar signature came barreling into the room, slightly calming the pinching sensation the larger one gave off, followed by a loud voice.

"_Wha! Where is Sakura!" _another crackling signature entered the room below, but was somewhat overpowered by Naruto's signature. She felt herself smile. Even without knowing he always comfort her.

"_Looks like there was a struggle." they think I was kidnapped? Well the room did imply that. "Couldn't protect herself like always. Tch what a waste of time." _he sneered and she felt her stomach drop. It was harsh, admittedly true, but it still hurt to hear him say that.

_No. Stop right there, you are Sakura Haruno, apprentice of the one of __t__he Legendary Sannins of Konoha, fifth Hokage and the best medic-nin in the world, who acknowledged that you will one day surpass her. _Sakura felt herself swell with pride and the words stung less.

"_I meant what I said bastard. If you don't care just _leave_."_

"And_ I told you not to tell me what to do." please don't fight._

"_Enough!"_

Sakura peeked in through the vent, squinting through the dust. _I'm considerably lucky my chakra is wonky today or I would have been caught._

"_What are we waiting for! We need to save her!"_

"_Not so fast Naruto. We can't assume that she was taken." _She watched Kakashi disappear from her line of vision.

"_Are you telling us that you think she left?" Damn it! They are on to me. I have to leave now!_

Sakura crossed the vent, mindful that her dress did not brush passed the ridges. If one little particle fell, they would discover her and she would probably be in far worse trouble than before because she acknowledged that she made this all far more suspicious than if she had just stayed in her room.

She made a series of twist and turns all while sneezes irritated her senses. The generator hummed in the background and the air grew colder. She tired to stop her chattering teeth and quickly find her way out.

_I seriously don't know what I am doing, but I know there has to be a laundry chute around her- _

Her hand slipped and tumbled downward. Static pinched her skin and dust caught her in waves. She came to slam into another vent and broke through. She plummet downwards. Large clusters of dust that had collected on the vent descended with her into the darkness. Fragments of the demolished vent flew passed her.

She could see light at the end of the tunnel and soon emerged, landing on a mountain of dirty towels. _Oh hell no._ Quickly jumped off, landing on her feet, she looked around. She had landed in the old hospital basement. _Great, I told myself before I was never coming down here and look where I am now._

She was safe, nobody ever dared to come down here, only the very brute nurses, but even_ they_ rarely did. They had a better and more modern basement upstairs, this one was just used for storage. A shuddered ran down her spine. The one time she came down here was to retrieve a clipboard that one of her colleagues had forgotten and the moment she stepped foot here, she felt like she was being watched from the shadows.

She shook the feeling away and picked away at the dust particles, flapping her clothing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flicker of movement. She instantly turned and her heart skipped a few beats. She let out a sigh of relief and laughed at her own uneasiness. It was just a rusted old mirror.

She approached it and felt her face drawn into horror. Her skin was pale and cheeks were sunken. Angry red rings rimmed under eyes. Her head bundled up in gauze. Patches of pink hair slipping from here and there. The rest of her hair fell around her shoulders.

_How long has 'a while' been? _She carded her hand through her blush-colored strands, grimacing in disgust how tangled and greasy they were. She pulled a kunai from her pouch and tapped her lip with it. She could just get rid of her hair, but then people would question her about it, especially if she ran into Ino, and she did not want draw attention to herself. She sighed, slipping the kunai back in her pouch and scowled.

_Don't think this is over. You and me have unfinished business._

Turning away from the mirror, she looked around the room for the door. A dim light hung overhead, walls eaten away by rust and humidity. Three large boilers, that had seen better days, stood tall. Connected to a series of green stained metal pipes, driving themselves under the cement floor or scaling above her head.

"_Where is that damn door._" she grumbled under her breath, pulling a lock behind her ear, she moved between broken down medical machines and boxes of medical supplies. Light fading away as she moved further in. Her sandal tangled itself into lanky cables and her chin struck the ground. She lay there for a while, cursing her equilibrium today, then rose. Untangling her ankle, she noticed light creeping through a small vent, shinning on a lone crowbar. Sakura approached it, lifting up the object, shifting its weight between her hands.

Eyes dancing with glee, she shoved the curved end in-between the gaps and yanked it back. The vent broke down and she poked her head out.

_Finally!_

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End of Chapter II_

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_I'd like some feed back yo! Thanks for reading._


	3. Lenore? Nevermore!

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto. (I think the chapters will be long from now on)

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_Chapter III: Nevermore my Pet Raven is Black_

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_Two weeks ago._

_Naruto scrubbed his teeth until a glare shined off them. He grinned in the mirror, admiring them. Ya! This will totally impress Sakura! Then we can go out and become boyfriend and girlfriend! And when I become the world's greatest Hokage! Me and her will get married!_

_He ran a hand through his blond locks. "I look so totally cool. Better than that stupid bastard." without looking, he grabbed a bottle of baby oil and squirted a handful on his palm. He rubbed his hands together and proceeded to coat his lanky chest, legs and feet. _

"_Wait, why is this so oily-" he looked down at his hands, smearing the substance between his fingertips. "It smells like baby oil" he snapped his head up and stared at the uncapped bottle in realization. He pointed an accusing finger at it. "I wasn't suppose to grab you! I was suppose to grab him!" he looked toward the plumped blue glass bottle of male lotion he had bought to impress the blush-haired girl._

"_Ah! Damn you!" he reached to crush the plastic bottle when his feet slipped from under him and his bottom crashed on the floor. It seemed it was a bad idea to oil down his feet. He grumbled and tried to gather himself to his feet, only to fall down again._

_He reached for the tub and gripped the edge, but his oily hands refused him and he smacked his face into the porcelain tub. _

_Ow...he clutched his throbbing face. "Am I going to stay here all my fricking life!"_

* * *

_Naruto shrugged on his orange jacket, gulping down a carton of milk, whos__e expiration date had__ been a week ago. He lifted his headband and tied it proudly around his head. He locked the door to his flat and pocketed the keys. He descended down the flight of stairs and walked out of the entrance of the building._

_His hands clasped behind his head, admiring the bright blue sky. The sun shined brightly, its gentle rays blanketing all of Earth's children. A smile graced his features. This was going to be a prefect day. He was going to train extra hard today. Impress Kakashi and stun Sasuke to silence, but most importantly he was going to ask Sakura on a date._

_He grinned with glee at the thought of sharing a bowl of ramen with her. No but wait that would mean he could not have all of it, but then they might share a kiss. His cheeks blushed at the thought. He had tried other times, but she was distracted by that bastard. He frowned, he really did not know what she saw in him or what anyone else did for that matter. He was not special. He was a complete dick. He beat him down every time he got a chance and always insulted Sakura._

"_Man, one day I'll show him who is better." _

_Naruto had managed to slip into the shower and tried to wash the gunk off. Although he did manage to remove it, the smell still stayed and applying the lotion would just make it worse. Or so he concluded._

_Ha! Like it matters, today Sakura is gonna say yes. _

_Croaking startled him from his musing, he came to a stop and squinted up. Perched on a electrical pole were two crows; who twitched their heads towards him and eyed him with scrutiny. Naruto felt his smile disappear, he had always heard crows brought bad luck or they foreshadowed things. He felt naked to them and his mood suddenly darkened. _

_He watched with unexplainable fear as more winged creatures joined the pair, soon a dozen of dark beady eyes stalked his every move._

_What the hell was wrong with him? They were just stupid chickens with black feathers! He could have them for breakfast if he wanted to. He glared at them and pointed a finger at them. "I don't know what your trying to pull! But I am not scared of you. You're brainless nobodies! And as a future Hokage, you don't have a chance! Hahaha." He goad them on, whether to threaten them or to forcefully pull himself out of this irrational fear, the crowd of crows just watched on in curiosity._

"_Ah, whatever! I have better things to do than stand here and be with you." he snapped. He walked forward, ignoring their following eyes and pushing down the unsettling feeling in his stomach._

* * *

_The red railed bridge came into view and felt his heart flutter in chest when he caught a flash of pink. Sakura was combing her hair and smoothing out her dress. A gentle breeze picked up and carried sparkles from the river._

_His vision slowed and his eyes focus only on her, slowing down how the breeze played with her hair and brightened her eyes. How the mist from the water winked light and glided around her like a celestial being. She turned to him and gifted him with one of the brightest smiles he has ever seen. She was glowing. He felt his heart melt. He was smitten. _

_Naruto.. her voice was angelic, soft and dulcet. Like mellifluous lullaby sung in your ear._

_Naruto... she was waving._

"_Naruto!" Naruto snapped out of it, blinking several times and took a involuntary step back. She was glaring at him, her hands on her hips._

"_I asked if you saw Sasuke." she snapped. He felt his stomach drop. Why was it always Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke! Really! What was so special about him?_

_He shook his head and his shoulders slumped when she turned around and went about her business. He sat down across from her, leaning against the rail, admiring how silky smooth her hair looked. He bet it would feel nice to touch it._

"_What are you looking at! Man, you're so annoying." the words stung, but he really did not care. As long they were not cold as the ones the villagers gave him, he would be fine._

_He swallowed dryly and asked with a small voice,"W-why do you like Sasuke so much? What is so special about him?"_

_She raised a delicate eyebrow at him and glared at him like he was the biggest idiot in the world and the answer was so obvious."Why wouldn't I? I mean he is hot and sexy! Not to mention the greatest fighter of this generation." she clasped her hands together and rested them on her chest."He is so mysterious.." she squealed._

_Naruto tilted his head. He still did not get it. Just then, Sasuke crossed the bridge and leaned against the railing, dropping his duffel bag by his feet. Sakura stiffened, a blush crept on her cheeks. Quickly, she snapped out of it and combed her hand through her hair. She clasped her hands behind her back and approached Sasuke. _

"_G-good morning, Sasuke" she greeted him with a nice smile and Naruto felt a pang of jealousy._

"_Hn" that bastard did not even bat her an eye. Naruto gritted his teeth when Sakura's face fell, crestfallen. He jumped to his feet and pointed the finger at Sasuke. _

"_What the hell is wrong with you! She said good morning you dolt!"_

"_Naruto!" he cringed when Sakura's fist struck his head. "Don't yell at Sasuke!" Naruto grumbled and nursed his new bump. He glared at Sasuke when he sneered at him._

"_Whatever, loser." Sasuke bent to lift his duffel bag and walked off the bridge._

_Sakura watched him go before she zipped up her red duffel. Naruto slung his bag over his shoulder. "Hey, why don't you say good morning to me!" he playfully proposed, lifting a suggestive eyebrow at her. _

_She turned around and hit him over the head with her duffel. "What! No way! You brainless idiot! And stop making that face, you're creeping me out." she then turned on her heel and trailed behind Sasuke._

"_Sasuke, wait up!"_

"_Ugh.." Naruto sat up from his fall and watched her walk off. He rubbed his head. "Ow! Sakura, that hurt." he pouted. A croak had him like a deer stuck in the headlights. He slowly turned his head and stared up at a crow that was perched on the railing._

_It tilted its head and croaked._

"_S-S-Sakura!" he scrambled to his feet, yanking his blue duffel with him and bolted. He swore that crow cackled at him._

* * *

_Naruto rested his hands behind his back and briefly closed his eyes. They had been sitting under the tree for nearly two hours now waiting for that stupid teacher of theirs to show up. He gritted his teeth, he was just waiting for what kind of excuse he pulled out of his ass now._

_He opened one eye and looked over at his teammates. Sakura sat in-between him and Sasuke. She was fast asleep, looking ever so delicate. Sasuke rested his back against the tree, staring at nothing in particular. He looked over and locked eyes with him._

"_Bastard." Naruto growled._

"_Tch, whatever idiot. I wasn't the one staring." he smirked at him. The blond huffed and stared ahead. He frowned when he noticed a flock of crows fly across the sky. _

_Are they following me! Naruto tensed when he heard harsh croaking above him. He whirled around almost tumbling over. Above him in the tree were dozens and dozens of crows all watching them with beady eyes. Naruto felt the fear resurface from his gut._

"_What the hell do you want!"_

"_What is wrong with you, are you insane?" _

_Naruto was trembling and he snapped "Shut up, Sasuke!"_

_At once the crows began to caw. Naruto covered his ears and was vaguely aware that Sasuke too, covered his. With all the ear-shrieking sound, the blond almost missed the blush-haired girl's soft moans. Suddenly the cawing stopped and they stared down, almost expectantly at Sakura. Naruto felt his heart race. _

_Suddenly Sakura's eyes snapped open and took in large amounts of air, before she lunged forward and gripped the grass as coughs ripped her throat. Naruto was by her side instantly, crows forgotten._

"_Sakura! Are you okay! What's wrong?" but she was coughing too much to answer. Naruto locked eyes with Sasuke as the crowd of crows leaped off the tree and took flight. A legion of crows emerged from the trees and flew away, blackening the sky. Sunlight winked between the gaps._

_Sakura trembled, her skin becoming pale nearly blue as the minutes passed. Soon the last coughs escaped her throat and she slowly sat up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. What struck him most was this new look in her eye, they were not this way a few minutes ago, they looked worn out, like the one he caught on Kakashi when he showed them the memorial stone._

_Her shoulders stiffened and goosebumps pebbled her arm. She whipped her head towards Sasuke and stared at him for a while like he was a foreign object. Naruto licked his lips and tentatively laid a hand on her shoulder._

"_Sakura, are you alright?" she jumped under his touch and with agility never displayed by her, she whirled around and had him by his throat. He felt his eyes widen and his hand stayed in the air. Few emotions passed her face before her own eyes widen. She stared at him with scrutiny, making him feel uncomfortable, before realization drawn to her face._

"_Kyuubi.." she whispered. Naruto felt his blood freeze and the gears in his head stop. He flinched and hated how that word associated with him, how instantly he was effected by it. Especially coming from the girl he liked so much. Now she too was going to hate him and look down on him._

_She narrowed her eyes at him and wrenched her hand back. He felt his heart split into two. She now knew what he was and was going to hate him for it. He tried for the life of him to be very discreet about it, but he failed. Somehow she knew and soon..soon she would direct cold eyes at him. He will never get that smile he longed for._

_The blush-haired girl scrambled to her feet and moved away from them. With a trembling hand, she pulled out a kunai and pointed at them. Her eyes hardened and she snarled at them. _"W-who are you!" _Wait? Who are we? Naruto exchanged looks with Sasuke before he looked back at her. _

"_Who the _hell_ do you think you are! Tricking me!" she menaced them with her kunai. To say Naruto was shocked would be an understatement._

_Emerald eyes burned with anger and determination, pupils dilated and shaking. She bared her teeth at them and gripped the kunai until her knuckles were white. The anger just pulsated in waves, suffocating them both._

_Where did that sweet girl go? Where did the loving eyes and gentle smile disappear to? She was not the bestest of friends with Naruto, but she never looked at him this way before. Not even when she realized who he was. And she is even threatening Sasuke! Something was definitely wrong here. Sakura has never cursed._

_He raised his hands and tried to reason with her "it's us, Sakura. No ones tricking you."_

_The blond watched emotions run through her face like a plague. She gritted her teeth and the waves intensified "You think this is funny! Do you!" her expression was accusing. A small smirk graced her features before it disappeared and she narrowed her eyes at Sasuke. _

_Sasuke visibly flinched. The anger that rolled off her grew tenfold and Naruto felt his insides coil. There was murderous intent, he would not be surprised if everyone within a mile radius felt it._

"_Sakura, please.." he begged. Instantly recoiling when her eyes snapped to him. Her eyes drifted away from his form and she looked at her surroundings. She looked confused, scared almost. _

_A breeze picked up and she stared at her hair transfixed. The kunai slipped from her fingers, embedding itself into the soil. She mouthed something and Naruto felt something tug him. Was that some sort of jutsu?_

_The arduous aura suddenly dissipated and he felt like he could breath again, however watched on in concern as her eyes saddened and looked like she threatened to spill tears. He took an involuntary step back as she moved forward, but frowned at himself when she ran passed them and slumped on the grass at the edge of the river bank._

_Naruto looked toward Sasuke who was visibly trembling and holding his arm in resort to stop so. He slowly looked toward him. He too was shaken up. Naruto looked towards Sakura who seemed to be chanting numbers. The blond tried to will himself to walk over there and comfort her, but his feet were glued to the ground. He was terrified of her. Almost as terrified as he had been when they were stuck in Zabuza's Soundless Murder Technique, maybe even more._

_Taking a deep breath, he ordered his foot forward followed by the other and soon he found himself standing at Sakura's side. Naruto looked up and found Sasuke had followed him. Naruto kneeled down and felt his heart crumble at the look of agony she had as she stared at her reflection. He watched in alarm when she started yelling at her reflection. Bloody murder ripped from her throat. Her screams were parched and squeaky, sore from the violent coughing before. Her hands curled on her dress, gripping it until they were white. Naruto wanted to do something! Anything to bring her out of this tormenting mood. He swallowed dryly and reached to touch her._

"_S-Sakura? Please tell me what's wrong." he cursed the tremble in his voice. How can he help her when he is scared shitless himself? She looked up at him, looking far older than her age. His hand retreated when a tear fell from her eye. He should not touch her, she was too pure for him. He did not want to make her hate him further._

_Sasuke shifted next to her and drew her attention to him. Everything was quiet, only the sound of the river was heard. Even their breathing was faint. The blond watched in sadness when she reached out and touched Sasuke's hair. He watched with longing when her hand landed on his cheek where she stroked the back of his ear. Smiling sadly when she giggled. Tensing when the murderous aura returned for a brief second._

"_You're real.." she whispered and Naruto became far more confused than he was before._

"_Sakura..?"_

_He felt compelled to not looked at her. Save her from looking at something so unpure. Save himself from looking at her disgusted face. He stared at the grass, but frowned when a pink strands danced in his vision. He looked up and blue clashed with emerald. He felt blood rush to his cheeks. Their noses were almost touching!_

_He pulled back slightly. "Are you feeling better?" He felt his heart do several leaps. She was smiling at him. Directing her glowing smile at _him! _He watched in alarm when her hand palmed his cheek, stroking a bruise he he had not realized he had gotten._

_His heart tugged at him when a sad look crossed her eyes. "I'm sorry Naruto." What! Why was she saying that? She did nothing wrong, but the look she gave him said other wise. Those eyes of hers so aware, almost like she could see the future._

"_Huh? What do you got to be sor-" his words died in his throat. She slid her arms around his neck and pulled him down. His body went rigid, not used to this sort of physical contact. He looked over to Sasuke who was regarding them both with a blank look. Naruto felt blood rush up to his ears. Her nose lightly brushed against his neck. Was she smelling him?_

"_Sakura, a-are you smelling my neck?" he sputtered out like a man choking on his rice. Her chin rested on his shoulder and she hummed in agreement. They stayed like that for a while. Naruto smiled in content, he could stay forever like this, except when it came down to ramen, that he could not resist._

_But then he sensed something wrong. The air around them seemed to shift and she pulled away in alarm like she had remembered something. Naruto's eyes widen, blood trickled from her ears. "Ah! Sakura! Your ears are bleeding!" Sasuke moved to help her, while Naruto crowded around her. She looked like she was asphyxiated and suddenly stood up, pushing passed them. They watched her stumble. Sasuke moved toward her and turned her around, grabbing her shoulders to steady her._

"_What's wrong with her!"_

_Sasuke sighed breathless, loss for words. "I-I don't know. Sakura? Are you listening? What's wrong?"_

_She lifted her eyes towards them, emerald foggy and half lidded. She shook her head like she could not hear. Pushed Sasuke off and stumbled away like she was completely intoxicated, yelling at them that she was fine, but she clearly could not control the pitch of her voice._

_Naruto watched her clutch her head and sway dangerously, but was too shocked to catch her from striking her head on a jagged rock protruding from the soil._

"_SAKURA!"_

_Now._

Naruto gritted his teeth, sprinting across adobe streets, scouting for any signs of pink, asking people or just scanning the area. The sun reflected off the ground, drowning him in perspiration. If he would have just snapped out of it, none of this would have happened. If he just stopping freezing every time something formidable happened then he would not be in this predicament or anyone for that matter. It happened when he first faced Zabuza and it happened now. He thought he out grew that!

Naruto leaped on to a fence and squinted his eyes. Sasuke flashed in front of him, he was trying to maintain his breathing to minimum. He was not even sweating like he was. Was he even looking for her! Did he really not care?

Naruto looked straight ahead, determined to find the blush-haired girl. "What do you want, Sasuke." he snapped. "If you are not here to help, why did you even bother coming here?"

"I don't know why we even bother with is. She is completely useless and always-" Sasuke quickly dodged the impending fist. He caught his wrist and swung his leg to trip him. Naruto jumped, and grabbed his ankle.

"What?" he sneered. "Can't find her?" Sasuke stiffened and narrowed his eyes. He pushed the blond away. "If _you_ were such a_ powerful ninja_ wouldn't _you_ have found her already!" He spat.

He watched Sasuke's body go rigid, like he had hit a nerve or something. He smirked, probably shrunk his ego. Good! Give that bastard a taste of his own medicine. "Why are you even here anyway?"

Sasuke slightly hunched his shoulders, stuffed his hands in his pockets and kicked a pebble around. "Kakashi told me to follow you and scout for Sakura."

Naruto barked out a laugh, "I thought _you_ didn't _take_ orders. I thought you _didn't_ like to be _ordered_ around!" ignoring the murderous look he gave him, he continued. "Look, I don't want to fight right now. I just want to find Sakura. So, if we just for now put our differences aside and actually work together, we can find her." he was slightly shocked by the reasoning that came out of his mouth, but was too concerned to find their teammate to care. "I have this area checked out, you scout another area. We will meet at the bridge when our intervals are done and scout another area again."

Sasuke seemed look slightly taken back, but quickly recovered and took off. Naruto sighed and his mind went back on track. Returning to his position on the fence. _Where are you, Sakura? Why did you leave..._

"_Shh..he's right there."_

The blond's ears perked and narrowed his eyes slightly at the squared 'rock' settled below him. _Konohamaru...how can that fool anyone?_

"Alright break it up! There is no such things as a perfectly squared rock with prefect holes! It is so obvious."

"Just what you'd expect from the man I respect!" came a muffled voice. "You are my rival aren't you!" the 'rock' began to glow yellow light, sending a collection of parallel rays, engulfing both Naruto and a few feet of the street. The 'rock' exploded, setting off three sets of colorful smoke; one by one the smoke dispersed, revealing three children hunched over coughing.

"Hey! That's too much gunpowder!" Konohamaru choked out.

The children looked up at the blond and Moegi leaped to her feet, "With an adult-sexiness! I'm Moegi of the senior class at Kunoichi Preschool!" striking a pose.

"I love factoring, Udon!" Naruto slightly grimaced that the snot that hung from his nostril.

"And the most brilliant Ninja in the Village! Konohamaru!"

"The three of us together are the Konoha-" Naruto put a hand up to stop them from continuing and walked along the fence.

"Hey! That's rude! You didn't let us finish." exclaimed Moegi.

"Yeah! What of it Boss?"

Naruto hopped off the fence, but did not turn to face them. Konohamaru approached him and tugged his sleeve. "What's wrong boss?"

A shadow fell over his eyes. "I failed Konohamaru. I failed everyone and I failed her." Naruto did not look at the boy's confused expression and did not elaborate on it.

Konohamaru licked his lips and felt at a loss at what to say. Whatever was bothering his friend, had him on his hands and knees. He was not good at adult stuff, but he knew that things do not get resolved by just moping around and doing nothing. His grandfather taught him that and Naruto taught him that. Konohamaru clenched his fists and slightly shoved Naruto.

"And what! You're gonna stand here and do nothing? You're not gonna fix this? Going back on your word?"

Naruto looked up at the boy to say something, but Konohamaru cut him off "That's not the Naruto I know! You told me crying doesn't solve anything. It just makes you into a coward that no one will admire! If you are that coward, you're not worthy of being someone who I respect or who I should call a rival!"

Naruto stared at him for a very long time and Konohamaru slightly wondered if yelling at him was such a good idea. He meant well, he wanted to drag Naruto out of the emotional rut he build around himself, but he did not want Naruto mad at him.

He felt relief flood through him when Naruto broke out into a smile and ruffled his hair.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks for reminding me." he grinned.

"No problem!"

Naruto scratched the back of his head and slightly flushed. "But..um, I'm still your Boss, right?"

Konohamaru grinning and nodded vigorously. "Of course! You will always be my boss!"

Naruto watched Konohamaru's friends trot toward him and chatter amongst themselves. _At this speed I am never going to spot Sakura. She could be anywhere! She might even still be at the hospital or back at her house!_He looked towards the children. _And I definitely can't let that bastard find her! If I only had..._

"Hey guys! How about you help me with something." The blond rubbed his hands together with glee.

"Yeah! What ya need, Boss! Hey can we play ninj-"

The ground shook slightly, pebbles hopped on the ground. Konohamaru's scarf tangled itself between his feet and he tripped. Moegi whined and held on to Udon who was about to fall over. Naruto narrowed his eyes. W_hat was that?_

"Was that an e-earthquake?" whimpered Moegi.

An explosive sound drowned out whatever Udon was about to say. A tree that stood a few miles away from them, shook and Naruto bolted toward that direction, with the children trailing after him.

* * *

_Two minutes earlier._

Sasuke slammed his fist against the wall_. Shit...this is frustrating!_

He narrowed his eyes and glared at the ground. A crowd of girls that watched him from around the corner, squealed away by the unnerving air that swerved around him. _There are plenty of guys outside who are stronger than I am.._

How was he going to restore his clan if he could not defeat Haku, someone who was far younger than he was. Maybe if he was not sent on all these stupid missions. Maybe if they actually got missions during the time Sakura was out. Maybe if he was not stuck here looking for the said stupid girl, who spent majority of the time priming her hair up and flirting with him. Quite frankly, she was about as useless as Naruto. Hell, she was far talentless than the orange wearing idiot.

They did not train until the afternoon because that moron proposed they visit her every goddamn day. His fist collided with the wall behind him. Visiting hours ended at six and he wanted an hour with her. If he was so _eager_ to see her, why did he not go in his _own_ time! And not drag _them_ with him!

He let out a bitter laugh. He was growing soft; he was starting to care and slightly like his teammates. Why else would he continuously be led into 'emotional' situations? Why would he let himself be dragged along? The excuse would only count for the first two days. After that, it just became a routine. He shook his head. But he hated his teammates. They wasted time and were severe loads of dead-weights, especially Sakura.

Instead of reviewing this crap, he should be working on something useful.

But how was he going to defeat his brother if he could not even find his pathetic teammate? Naruto had hit a nerve, he should be able to find her, he was far stronger. But why has he not? Whatever she is doing, she was eluding their senses. Purposely making a fool out of them. Out of him!

If Kakashi could not even sense her, how could he? He could not even defeat Kakashi during the bell test and Itachi is Anbu level. He sighed and massaged his temples. He is not advancing at the pace he wanted.

She had managed to scare the shit out of him two weeks ago. Crows watched her so diligently like she was something special. Waking up coughing like she was drowning underwater. Screaming bloody murder and threatening them like they were impostors. Crying in agony. Touching them like she had not seen them in years or like she knew something depressing they did not.

He suppose she had always been mental and finally cracked.

But he could not get those emerald eyes out of his head. They had _so_ much _hate_. They looked like his when he looked at his reflection in his mother's blood. Her anger rolled off of her in waves and when she looked at him, they increased _tenfold_. What the _hell_ had he done to pissed her off so much?

They were so potent that his arm still momentarily trembled at the memory. They burned themselves into his retinas and soul.

Sasuke felt something lick his skin. He shivered and lifted his arms up to poise for an attack, but frowned when nothing came. He felt the hairs in the back of his neck stand and was overwhelmed by a strong sense of fear and anger. "Something is up...the air shifted"

The ground shook beneath him. _What was that? An earthquake? No it's too small._

A blast of wind almost knocked him over, followed by a sonic-boom that left his ears popping for a while. There was a loud crash and he looked up just in time to see a tall tree falling down on him. He instinctively rolled out off the way and narrowed his eyes at the column of sand that began to form.

"What the hell...?"

* * *

_End of Chapter III_

* * *

There you go, y'all. And as always feedback/Reviews are always welcomed. Especially if I kind of nailed it with Sasuke..he is cynical.


	4. Ghost upon the floor

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

_Chapter IV: This Green and thus not Black. _

_

* * *

_

_Several minutes before the 'earthquake'_

Sakura walked along the street, staring at every building and tree with with close inquiry. Glaring at unsuspecting persons and then smiling apologetically when they stumble on their own feet and ran away in fear.

So far everything looked how it did half a decade ago, if one counted her time-line and prior to Pein's invasion. Which brought her back to her current dilemma. How far back did she go? Did she just graduate from the academy or is it a little farther than that?

Her mind jumped with excitement. Are they going to the mist mission soon! Or is it too late? Her face fell at the thought of Haku's and Zabuza's fate during the war. "I guess that was meant to be.." she murmured.

Sasuke's image flashed through her mind and her head perked up. That's right! Sasuke was with her upon her arrival and he did not have the mark yet. That means...but that could mean anything. They could be on their way to the Mist village soon or God knows where.

_But I still don't have solid proof that we haven't gone already. I could even be during the Chūnin exams! _She felt the blood drain from her face._Oh no! What if I made my team get disqualified because I wasn't there! I let them down again in the worst of times...But what if I could prevent everything from ever happening. Stopping Orochimaru from ever sinking his teeth into Sasuke. Stopping the Third from ever dying. Preventing the invasion..._

Sakura paused. But...could she really do that? Those type of things always happen for a reason and messing with them could turn out far worse than before. What if she did save the Third? Tsunade's slugs would have never aided in Pein's invasion and they probably would be lost without her. Danzō might had been the Sixth Hokage. What if she _did_ save Sasuke? What if it is to say they do not get _killed_ by the sound ninja? What if it is to say Orochimaru plants the curse mark on _her_ by accident? And could she even _tell_ anyone who she was? Who is to say she is not locked into an asylum instead. God no, worse she would be taken in by interrogation.

_I can not say anything to anyone and I can not change myself too much because people will get suspicious. And I certainly can not afford suspicious ninjas on my case. _She was going to have to lie a lot from now on, until she returned home.

Hot flashes ran up and down her spine. Palpitations swarmed her heart. She quickly ran near a tree and stood under its shade. These panic attacks were starting to overwhelm her. She leaned her head against the tree and looked toward the grass. What if she never returned? What if she had to undergo the most difficult years of her life all over again?

She would have to be a liar and live everyday with it! What if this time things do go worse regardless if she did not intervene? What if she could not take it any longer and spill? Be taken into custody because of what she knew? Marked as traitor for not informing the village about it? It is withdrawing information and it is a act of treason.

_Worse, be kidnapped by the Akatsuki and tortured by each and everyone one of the missing-nin until I give up what I know. _Her knees buckled under her. _Itachi's Sharingan, torture my mentality until I succumb to him. Sosori injecting me with his poison and giving three minutes to answer or I am dead for good and adding another puppet to his collection. Deidara forcing clay birds down my throat and giving me five seconds to answer before I go 'bang'. Shredded to ribbons by Kisame. Eaten alive by Zetsu. Be..be.-Stop! Just stop! Get a hold of yourself! Panicking is not going to get you anywhere!_

She held her breath and let it out slowly. She could not panic. She had to be calm and collected. Think calmly. Yeah, she even felt better already. She just had to make sure it never comes to that.

She lifted herself off the ground and noticed the Hokage monument, almost wondering why the Fifth Hokage was not depicted on there. She shook her head and smiled at them.

"I'll protect them, even if they don't acknowledge me." she promised them.

* * *

Temari sat leisurely on a plush chair, she rapped her nails against the vanity. They had arrived here four days ago and all they have been doing is hanging about in the hotel room.

"Ow! Son of!" she looked over at Kankuro and rolled her eyes. He sat on a chair near a open window, trying to clean Crow, but cut his finger. The puppet gave him a almost apologetic look.

"Why don't you save it for another day?"

Kankuro sucked on his finger, "And what be bored all day? We haven't seen this damned place at all!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down." she gritted her teeth.

Kankuro ducked his head and looked around cautiously. "Where is he?" his voice almost a whisper.

"In your room, meditating." she sighed in relief.

"Do you remember the way he reacted when he first came here? Freaked me out. I mean it was sort of like...like..he was looking for something."

"He _was_ looking for something, idiot. He sensed something the moment we approached the gates. As for what it was? Your guess is as good as mine." she stretched her arms. "I certainly didn't like the look on his face. It was almost...hungry."

"Dude, practically every look he gives is either hungry or angry."

Temari's eyes twitched at his nickname. "That is not what I meant. I think he going shed some blood soon. I mean a lot of it. I just hope it is not too much, we can't risk blowing our cover just because our brother gets a tantrum."

"Look," he set the puppet aside. "Why don't we go out today? Propose it Gaara, see what he thinks about it."

"Are you going to ask him?"

"Ask me what."

Temari's body went rigid and her eyes widen. Kankuro looked up at Gaara. Temari's felt Gaara's eyes bore into her skin. Her heart thumped in her ears. _How much did he hear? _She locked eyes with Kankuro and gave him a pleading look.

Kankuro licked his lips and felt his body cringe when jade eyes landed on his. "W-well, we were thinking..T-that maybe we could go outside today. You know get to know get know this place...m-memorize the landmark?"

Gaara stared at him for a long time. "Very well."

Kankuro's shoulders relaxed, before his eyes widen and he choked out. "W-what?"

Gaara narrowed his eyes and Kankuro swore he was going to piss his pants. "Hard of hearing? Or are you playing stupid."

Temari stood up quickly, without realizing what she had done. She swallowed down the bile in her throat. "What Kankuro meant was he just glad you could agree, right Kankuro?" without waiting for him to respond she continued. "Alright, so let go get to it." She walked out of the room as quickly as she could manage without Gaara changing his mind.

Gaara eyed Kankuro before he disappeared in a whirl of sand. Kankuro let out a breath he had not realize he was holding and slumped against the chair, when his legs turned to jelly. He wiped the sweat off his brow.

_God, help me._

_

* * *

_

Kakashi looked at the door in front of him and briefly wondered if he should just turn back. He lifted his book from his pocket and entered the room.

He was slightly angry with Sakura, causing him so much distress then adding more just by up and leaving them. Maybe it was silly, but the girl managed to leave him with two weeks worth of insomnia! She left him quite disturbed and edgy with her sudden disappearance. He had accidentally snapped at Iruka who had encountered him as he made his way up the Hokage tower. The poor guy was just asking how Naruto was doing.

Iruka being the kind man he was apologized and gave Sakura his regards.

"Haven't seen you in a long while, Kakashi. Is there something you need?"

Yes, what did he need? He was not exactly sure why he even came here. Maybe part of him wanted to punish Sakura, but he could just do it himself. Assign her two weeks worth of labor in a day. Make her scrub down his flat. He smiled slightly at the thought.

But part of him also knew she also was hiding something. He narrowed his eyes. What could she possibly have dreamt of? It is hard evaluating someone who seemed so far so average and not conspicuous like the emotionally detached Uchiha or the rambunctious jinchūriki. Her demeanor severely changed after she woke up.

From what he caught from Naruto, it was almost as if she became a completely different person. She was usually the affectionate and reasonable type. She was very emotional and he did comment that she would not be very reliable on missions if she suddenly broke down because Sasuke got fatally wounded.

With this constant character, one already had a clear view on her motives and identity. She was, unfortunately, like a open book. She was very obvious with her unchanging infatuation of Sasuke. She put in more concentration on her appearance for said boy than her battle skills.

But all that scattered when she woke up like she suddenly developed Anxiety disorder overnight. Like she suffered from some low-cue Manic Depression Disorder. Whatever she woke up from had affected her state of mind. But see that just did not sit right with Kakashi. He knew she was mentally healthy, but he also knew she was hiding something. If she would have not left the hospital in order to avoid them, he would have passed it off as some sort of traumatic nightmare, but she did not and she ran away and he knew if he asked her about it, she would lie.

Sarutobi took a puff from his pipe and watched the young man. "Is there something bothering you?"

"Nope, just wanted to come by." his eye smiled at him.

"Really?" the Third looked a bit skeptical. "You don't fool me, Kakashi."

Kakashi sighed and walked towards the window. Now he was not sure if he should say anything. "It's about Sakura."

"Oh! Yes, how could I forget. How is the child doing?"

"Fine...she.." Should he or should he not? "She has not woken up." He leaned against the window sill, watching a flock of crows fly by.

Sarutobi frowned and let out a deep sigh. When the report that miss Haruno had had an accident and slipped into a coma, he had to deal with two very emotional parents and a hysterical Naruto. They were distraught and Mrs. Haruno suffered a syncope. Naruto on the other hand would not stop panicking and crying. The Third clasped his hands and rested his chin on them.

"How exactly did all happen?" the Third knew, he did read the report, but he also knew that something was troubling Kakashi.

Kakashi sighed, "She apparently woke up. Had a violent coughing fit. Had a nervous breakdown of sorts and then vertigo overwhelmed her and her head struck a rock on the ground." trying to blink the mental picture away.

"Oh." the elder man nodded, "And you believe there is more to that?"

"I can't help get the feeling Naruto and Sasuke are not mentioning a one little detail. If it is to protect their teammate or themselves...they are certainly becoming good friends." he smiled slightly.

"How is Naruto getting along?"

"He is not as boisterous as he use to be. Sakura's condition really affected him. He begged us to visit Sakura everyday and well we have, it almost a routine now really. I can't help get the feeling that he blames himself for this. I asked him why and he just shrugged and looked even more miserable than before."

"Sasuke?"

"He fights a lot more with Naruto nowadays. He doesn't want to admit it, but Sakura's condition has also affected him. The day I found her, sir..she...he went into a almost catatonic state. He wouldn't respond to anything I'd say to him. I wouldn't blame him...the trauma...it was a little scarring."

It became quiet in the office. Maybe he should just leave before he said any more. He was spilling out and soon he will spilling out that he lied and Sakura is really troting around with an open head, unawares.

"And how are _you_ feeling?"

He sighed. How was _he_ feeling? Well that list could go on. He was angry at Sakura for bringing this onto him. Making him worry that Obito was not the only name he will visit. Running away from them after scaring them half to death with the possible thought of a kidnapping.

Thinking that perhaps an inch of a second he was going to lose another one of his friends. Finding Sasuke's and Naruto's rivalry infuriating when he has not had a decent night of sleep. Most of these, she was not fault, but he felt better when he placed the blame on her.

"You know, Kakashi. It is never wise to place the blame on someone else for one's own misfortunes." The Sandaime regarded him with a knowing look.

Kakashi shuffled his feet. He hated it how he was able to read him so well. Or anyone for that matter. "I blame myself for all this."

"Hmm? And why would you do that?" he shuffled some documents and laid back in his chair, his pipe to his lips.

"If I wasn't so side tracked all the time, if I was more attentive to them. If-"

"Kakashi." he began. "Someone can only be so attentive. You visit an old friend that is understandable. It is good to remember, but you also have to remember that when nostalgia holds you back you have to learn to forget."

Kakashi stayed silent and Sarutobi sighed, "What happened can't be changed nor was it your fault. Not yours, Naruto's or Sakura's. It just _happened_. As to why, only Miss Haruno will know and it is up to her to tell us."

He knew that, but he could not help it. He was their teacher, he was responsible for them. He was their guardian.

"_I won't allow my comrades to die. I'll protect you with my life. Trust me."_

He was reluctant to get close to anyone because everyone he ever loved died, But ever since the formation of Team seven, he had begun to slightly push away those feelings. They proved themselves different from all the other teams he was assign to in the past, albeit their first impression was rough. He smiled slightly.

He thought he was going to loose them in the battle with Zabuza. He told them to take Tazuna and run, but the little runts stayed and freed him from his prison and that is when Kakashi knew they truly believed in teamwork.

Kakashi was amazed how his students were so much like his own teammates. Naruto was just as knucklehead as Obito. They also shared an uncanny appearance. Sakura shared smiliar qualities with Rin. He was like Sasuke when he was younger. Naruto and Sasuke share as rivalry just as Obito did with Kakashi.

Like Sakura, Rin liked the 'cool' boy while the goofball liked his female teammate. He shook his head. _I think is was how Minato felt.._

Sarutobi watched Kakashi's face with interest. He was normally great at shielding his emotions, but it seemed that his students were worming their way into his heart. He smiled sadly, this was affecting him far more than he led on.

Kakashi clenched his teeth. Death creeps on you, just when you think it is going to be okay. Death snuck by and clutched on to Sakura, but she fought, hell did she fight. A dark look fell over his eyes, but she left. She never considered their reaction. _His_ reaction. What she did was selfish and after he was put through all that worry. After he blamed himself over her safety. That just did not sound like the blush-haired girl he knew.

_You're going to tell me what it is your hiding, whether you want to or not._

_

* * *

_

Inoichi watched his daughter arranged a bouquet of white roses. He sighed, she has been very quite ever since she found out Sakura had slipped into a coma. At first she completely ignored the rumor, saying that 'Billboard Brow' was not her friend, but her rival and that if it did_ really_ happened then she would not care.

However as the week progressed she began to have her doubts and asked him every once in a while if the rumor was true. He decided he had had enough of this and took her to the hospital himself where she broke down crying when they entered the room.

He would not blame her, she looked awfully sickly and...dare he say it, dead. The next day she told him over a very brief conversation that her teacher and her teammates were going to visit her. She did not say a word the entire morning after that.

She had prepared a purple vase and arranged red and yellow lilies with it. When he asked her why lilies. She simply said.

"_When she wakes up, she will notice the lilies and realize how long she has been out."_

He smiled at her deduction. _That's my girl_. The door bell rang and Shikamaru sauntered into the shop along with Chōji who stuffed his face with chips.

"Ino, let's go. Good afternoon Mr. Yamanaka."

"Ah, afternoon Shikamaru. Chōji. Say how's your fathers? Haven't spoken to them in a while."

"They are fine. Just the wife, she-"

Asuma stepped into shop with a serious expression on. Ino returned from the back of the room with a red vase and Calla lilies.

"I am sorry to interrupt."

"Not at all." Inoichi smiled, but he could tell something was up.

"What's the matter, Asuma?" asked Ino, who looked up at him expectantly. Asuma inwardly flinched and Inoichi felt a pang a jealousy, but immediately crushed it. He had tried all these last couple days to get his daughter to talk to him. Even tried speaking to her telepathically, but no result. She would just shrug or nod. And here comes along her teacher, who has no blood relationship with her and managed to get a sentence out of her without the strain to getting her to speak.

Asuma sighed and scratched the back of his head. He hated doing this. He did not like to get himself involved in unnecessary things, but he knew Ino would want to know. God, he was in definite need of a cigarette.

He closed his eyes to avoid looking at her. "It appears Sakura has been kidnapped." God, he hoped the report was wrong and the nurse who reported was mistaken.

Shikamaru closed his eyes and muttered 'troublesome'. Chōji choked on the chips he crammed into his mouth. Inoichi gritted his teeth and looked at his daughter in worry. Ino stared at him with a blank look. The red vase slipped from her hands and shattered near her feet.

* * *

A cloaked ninja with a dog mask appeared next to sliver-haired Jōnin . Kakashi's eyes never left the page from his book.

"Yes?" the Third looked over from several manila folders.

"Lord Hokage, patient Sakura Haruno has been reported kidnapped."

Sarutobi narrowed is eyes and looked at Kakashi. Kakashi smiled. He should have considered this.

* * *

Sakura pulled at her hair in frustration. If she did make it back before the Chūnin Exams then she was of no use! She could not 'mold' or 'manipulate' her chakra. It is almost like she did not have _any_ chakra. Which is simply_ preposterous_. Even a little amount of chakra is required to live.

But she felt empty and there was this nauseating tug she would get every time she tried to summon chakra. Like not eating morning breakfast or dinner in general and getting a wave of nausea, when your stomach is just bloated with air.

She had drawn to an horrible conclusion that if she strained too much she might rupture her organs, but immediately squashed the thought before her imagination took over.

It was frustrating not knowing what was happening to her body when she had no one to confined in. As much as she wanted to go to the Hyuugas, she forgets that they are not exactly on good terms yet.

And what _was_ this business with her sudden sensitivity to chakra signatures? _I mean ninjas are taught to track down others by their signatures and are taught to cloak themselves, but it seems I sense them even if they don't cloak them._

She shook her head. No, that was not the case. She could_ feel_ them, like_ really feel_ them. She paused for a brief moment. _What if what I am sensing is not just their chakra but their elemental affinity._ She rubbed her chin in thought. _Yeah, I mean now that I think about it. Kakashi once told me that his affinity was lighting. Naruto bragged to me that he had a very rare affinity. He said his was wind._

She snapped her fingers. _That was what I sensed!_ But why? Why now? Why did she not feel it in her other time-line. She slightly narrowed her eyes. What exactly happen before she came here. What was that bitter cold she felt?

Lost in her thoughts she failed to notice the body that stood in front of her.

"Watch it."

She looked up and slightly gasped. "_Kankuro.._"

Temari looked surprised. She looked between the sickly looking girl and her brother and face-palmed herself. They have not even been a week here and her brother had already begun to have relationships with girls. She shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "_A little girl_, Kankuro? Seriously? And here I thought 'you didn't like anyone younger than you'?"

Sakura felt blood rush to her cheeks at what was being insinuated, but gritted her teeth at the 'little girl' remark. She was not little! Okay, perhaps she was, but it was just appearances!

Temari widen her eyes in realization before she glared at her brother. Sakura strife her giggles when the blond smacked the back of Kankuro's head. "Liar! I thought you said you haven't seen this damned place at all!"

"I haven't!" he coward from his sister's hand. "I am not some kind of child predator! Besides, I wouldn't _touch_ that thing!"

Sakura sent him a murderous look. _Man, if my chakra were working properly, I'd blast you to the moon._

His eyes widen slightly at the brief tug of fear he felt before they narrowed dangerously. "How do you know my name." he threatened. _Is this girl like Gaara?_

She gulped. She set herself up, she needed to get herself out. "I confused you with someone else."

He lifted an eyebrow at her. "And this _other_ 'Kankuro' just happen to wear face paint as well?"

She smirked. Time for some pay back. "Yeah, except he is a courtesan."

Temari barked out a laugh and Kankuro stiffened and gaped before he gave her a black look. Sakura pulled a lock behind her ear and felt the hairs behind her neck rise. _What was that? _She quickly shook her head to get rid of the feeling. "Well goodbye people of Suna. Nice to meet you, but I must get going." she turned, completely missing the looks of apprehension both the sand siblings wore. She came face to face with icy jade eyes.

* * *

_End of Chapter: IV_

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* * *

_

Hope you guys are enjoying it. As you can see I am somewhat quick on the updates, simply because I write like crazy. Taking advantage of time now before I get dragged away by school.

As always feed-backs are awesome.

I am a bit skeptical about Kakashi in this chappie. I hope I captured everyone else well. Not much action in this chappie, but it was more of establishing chappie.


	5. Volumes of Forgotten Lore

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto. (be ready, cause this is a long-ass chapter)

* * *

_Chapter V: This Apple and thus not Raven_

_

* * *

_

_Part I_

_

* * *

_

_Now_

Blood drained her face. He watched her with a passive expression. She tried her hardest not to shudder and gave him a strained smile. She had to tread carefully. This was not the same Gaara from her time-line. Not yet anyway. This Gaara was the blood-lusting sociopath. Who ardently listened to 'Mother'.

If her chakra were working properly, she would not feel so intimidated and would stand her ground. However this was not the case and she certainly will dig her grave if she steps out of line. _The best thing to do now is leave or run. No! Don't run. He might kill you anyway._

She thickly swallowed and side stepped him. She tried to relax her muscles and loosen her strides. It was not even seven feet when he grabbed her wrist and wrenched her towards him. Her heart pounded in her ears and her legs felt like jelly.

He was glaring at her. She cursed how his pretty and unique eyes held so much hate. "Give it to me." came his gruff voice.

All the gears in her head stopped and all she could utter was "Huh?"

He snarled and jerked her toward his chest before he flung her to the ground. Her rump hit the turf and she winced. That was going to leave a mark. Temari gasped and Kankuro cursed. Sakura had absolutely no idea what he wanted. She began to panic. This did not happen in the other time-line. He ignored her completely. So why was it different now? What could she _possibly _have that he would want.

"Give it to me." he repeated.

"I don't know what you want!"

She bit her lip when the cork popped off and sand began to pour out of his gourd. She quickly scrambled to her feet and poised herself. "What is it!" she pleaded with him.

Temari watched on fretfully. She wanted to jump in there and help, but she knew better than interfere with Gaara's blood lust. What she could not wrap her head around was what this girl had that he wanted to much. If it was blood he would had crushed her the second she attempted to ignore him, he does not liked to be ignored, but he did not.

Kankuro stared on in worry. They did not know who this girl was and if she suddenly went missing it could cause an uproar and their cover might be blown. He really did not think she was remotely important, but he did not know that for sure.

Sakura closed her eyes and looked directly into Gaara's. She tried to calm herself and steady her voice. "What do you want. I don't know what you want."

Gaara's expression changed into fury. "_Don't _lie to me!" he roared, "Give it to me _now_!" Sakura looked up just in time to see a large fist made of sand move to crush her. She instantly threw her body out of the way. She rolled off to side and tried to steady herself. The ground trembled beneath her. She cursed the vertigo that overwhelmed her, but she shook it off.

Gaara's affinity sliced at her skin. It whirled and wrapped around them. Like sharp projectiles whizzing passed her body. _His affinity is wind just like Naruto's, but just unlike Naruto's, his is far more acuate. _Her heart skipped a beat when Gaara licked his lips at the sight of her blood. _This can't be good.._

Perspiration soaked her back, glittering the nape of her neck. He was going to kill her if she did not give him what he wanted, but did he_ want!_ She gritted her teeth in frustration and screamed "What do you want, Gaara!" she gasped and clamped her hands over her mouth. Cursing every fiber within her being. Damn her and her temper!

Gaara stiffened and the sand that rotated above their head froze. Temari stared at the girl and narrowed her eyes. _How did she know Gaara's name! She knew Kankuro's too. Just who is she.. _

Kankuro looked between Gaara and the freaky girl, gaping, not able to fathom these turn of events.

The wind intensified, nearly scraping against her skin. Her hair whiplash her face. She watched in alarm when his shoulders hunched and trembled. _What's wrong with him._ Sakura thought in worry for her 'friend'. "Gaara..?"

He threw his head back and maniacal laughter erupted from his throat. She locked eyes with him and took an involuntary step back. His eyes widen and irises shrunk. Shadows cast over the crinkles between his eyes and the corners of the demented smile that reached his ears.

A dark chuckle escaped his lips and they curved, revealing his fangs. "You had me going there."

She did not have time to react when his arms moved in front of him, commanding the sand. The fist move to crush her several times, different directions, but Sakura threw herself out of the way every time. Sand wrapped around her ankle and flung her in the air. Whips snapped out the sand on the ground and strapped themselves on her body. They seized her ankles and her wrists. Stretching her body out to the fullest extent.

Gaara's grin widen and his eyes alight with insanity. Sakura gritted her teeth when she felt her shoulders close to popping out of their place. Sand clasped her neck and choked her. She tried to jerk her body, but proved fruitless. Her face rapidly turning purple from the pressure. Edges of her vision blurred and images flashed in her mind.

_Naruto, Sai, Kakashi..._

Gaara brought his arms toward himself, clutched hands ready to jerk out, to rip her apart. A shiver of delight ran down his spine at the thought of her torso falling to the ground with a sickening splat. Her arms and legs held in the air by his sand. Of her spine still intact, ripped from her body and attached to her head.

_I am going to die..like this?...so soon.._

Sakura caught glance of the Hokage Monument just as emerald slowly disappeared under her eyelids and her mouth hanging ajar. Saliva trickled from the corner of her mouth. Something tore and white dots exploded in her eyes.

_Promise, I promised them..I can't..die. _Her chest tightened._ I promised. _A biting cold flooded within the walls of her body. An intense heat boiled in the pit of her stomach and suddenly she hit the ground. She slowly sat up, her vision returning. Her throat took in air and she coughed, red faced and eyes watered. She looked around, wiping the drool from her lips and found the sand gradually dying down.

She was vaguely aware she was missing something. Her eyes ran over Temari and Kankuro, but they could not grasp what they were looking for. A dull headache surged in her temples. _God not now_. She palmed the side of her head and got back to her feet. She suddenly froze and her eyes snapped wide. _Wait! Where's Gaara? _She was bombarded with a explosive sound, sending her mind reeling. There was a loud whine and she turned around just in time to see a towering tree fall over

Without thinking she bolted toward the fallen tree. Dread and panic bubbling in the pit of her stomach. She skidded to a halt and felt the blood drain from her face.

A the base of the broken tree stump was Gaara's motionless body. He was smashed with enough brute force to bring down an over four hundred year old tree. She looked down at her trembling hands with terror. _I-I did this? No! I couldn't have. My chakra isn't working properly dammit! I don't have time for this._

She pulled Gaara out of the crushed bark. Setting him down a few feet away and proceeding to examined him for broken bones. She may not have her medical abilities, but she certainly retained her memory. She sighed with relief when she did not find any, his sand must have protected him, but began to worry when he did not react to her inspection.

His pulse was fine and his breathing was too, but why did he not wake up. Goosebumps ran along her body and shudders ran down her spine. Sand began to lift and warp around them. The demon was taking over its vessel.

She shook Gaara and yelled at him to wake up, alarmed by the sand that hardened over the side of his face, molding into a snout. Her voice raspy from the choke hold. Temari and Kankuro skidded to a halt and looked around in panic. One of the primary reasons Gaara never slept and always opted to meditate was because he feared the demon would only furthered his instability and blood lust.

Sakura could not let this happen. If he lost control now, time would be changed and she would have to suffer with another army of consequences. More people might die this time and there will not be any compensation for Suna. An image of an older Gaara shaking hands with older Naruto flashed her mind. _He will never get to meet Naruto, who would make him realize that he also suffered the same but he never gave up and that _he_ gave up too soon. They will never form that strong and close bond. Gaara will never know the feeling of love. He will never become that loving and caring Kazakage he is destined to be!_

She shook him and screamed at his face over the roar of the winds. "Wake up! Wake up Gaara! You have to wake up! _Please_!" she begged. His body just jerked in a languish manner and his head lolled to the side.

If the demon took over completely and rampaged over Konoha, Sakura will never able to live with herself. It would kill her. She could not let this happen. For Naruto's sake. For Gaara's sake.

"C'mon! _Wake up_!" She felt tears rise. She was so stupid. She should have never left the hospital. She should have set her little ass there and never left. She should have not hidden when the nurse walked in. This was all her fault.

"_Wake up goddamn it! Wake up_!" she struck his face. The resounding slap managed to cut through the roaring winds. Gaara's eyes snapped open and stared at her in shock. The hardened sand crumbled and fell away, revealing the other half of his face. The column of sand that formed, poured down around them.

Sakura broke out into a grin and gave a cry of joy. She cupped his cheeks and gave his forehead a quick peck. Hugging his head and his shoulders,"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" she whispered to him in relief. Sniffing and wiping away the tears that leaked from her eyes. She felt blood rush to her ears when he touched his forehead. _Oh God, did I really just do that?_

She bit her lip at the contemplating look he had toward his fingers he kept touching his forehead with. _I should jet before he does something._

She moved to get up, but Gaara seized her wrist. She swallowed thickly and wrenched her arm away. "_You can battle me later-" _she bit her lip, she would regret this later_ "but now you have to leave. It won't be long before Konoha ANBU get here._" Gaara watched her retreating back and stumbled to regain his footing. Shukaku writhe and plunged its claws into the dark crevices of his head, trying to regain control. He roared, its barrage ricochet in his mind. Gaara clutched his head and gritted his teeth. His hand snapped open and sand lifted. It curved around him and fired straight for the blush-haired girl.

He watched when the girl cartwheel out of the way and bolt.

Gaara let his arm fall to side and watched her go. "You will give me what I want." he warned her back. He turned away from her and looked toward his pathetic siblings. "Lets go." he ordered, disappearing in a whirl of sand.

Temari stared at the spot were her little brother had been standing. This mysterious sickly looking girl had manage to escape Gaara's clutches and unsuspectingly save their cover. But how could she have possibly known about the demon or Gaara's name or Kankuro's for that matter was beyond her. She narrowed her eyes. This girl was dangerous. She needed to inform Baki about this.

Kankuro could not help but to grin. She saved them. The freaky-weird girl saved them!

"What are you grinning about?" snapped Temari.

"She saved us. I thought we were dead meat."

"I know, but she is a threat to us." she watched the blush-haired girl disappear from view.

"C'mon, don't tell me you're not itching to battle her." he elbowed his sister.

Temari smirked. "She would be fun"

A few yards away, hidden in a tree, Team Dosu watched the blush-haired girl run past under the branch they were on. They tensed and followed her wide eyed. They saw everything from when she accidentally bumped into the Suna Genin to the massive damaged left behind.

Spear sized splinters littered were around them, sprawled or embedded in the soil. The abnormally tall tree had managed to miss several houses, however crushed and tore down the litter of fences.

Zaku could not tear his eyes away from the seemingly harmless girl. His insides could not help but to coil at the thought of a confrontation with her. "Did you guys see that..?"

"Of course we did, idiot." Kin snapped testily. She hugged herself, absentmindedly rubbing her shoulders. This girl was something else. "We were all here."

Zaku swallowed thickly, licking his lips "What do you think, Dosu?"

Dosu was quite for a moment. He did not blink nor shift. "I don't think they're anything special." Kin and Zaku looked shared an incredulous look. "But, the pink-haired one and the gourd from the Sand Village..those two need to be checked."

"Are you even sure she is a ninja? She didn't have her headband."

"Of course she is!" Kin gritted her teeth. She glared at the back of the retreating girl. She was going to make sure this girl did not ruin their plans. _Orochimaru will be pleased to know of this discovery_.

-x-

_Minutes earlier._

Sasuke's feet pounded on the dirt under him. The column of sand that towered until it disappeared behind the clouds had fallen away, raining down on the ground below. He pumped more chakra into his legs. What could that possibly have been? _My best guess is a ninja, but who_. He grunted as he leaped over a fence. _N_o_ one here in this village controls sand, not that I know of anyway. They must be foreign._

He narrowed his eyes when he saw figures in black cloaks and animal masks flash into view, perched around the scene. _Damn Anbu have come to investigate. Now I can't see for myself._ He stopped and clenched his fist. He huffed and took a detour in hope he could at least take a peek.

Sasuke was about to round the corner when he almost slammed into Sakura. Her hand shot over her heart as she gasped, startled. "Sasuke." she breathed.

The spark of anger of her getting in the way of his curiosity vanished and his ego boost. _This is better than some mysterious column_. A smirk curled on his lips. _Who is the stronger ninja now, Naruto. _

For brief second a taller more muscular man flashed in her mind before she just found the lanky raven-haired boy. _Remember stay in character. Don't do other wise. It is going to be hard, I out grew that Sakura_. She slightly narrowed her eyes at his small smile. _What is he smiling about. _

"Sasuke." she purred, but stopped when he stared at her. _Maybe that was too much_. She felt blood flush to her cheeks._ Oh God, why me? _She clasped her hands behind her back and tried her hardest not to laugh at herself. This was ridiculous. It _felt_ ridiculous.

Sasuke gritted and tried his hardest not to roll his eyes. She going to ask him again and he was going to say no. But he had to his hold his tongue from snapping at her. He did not want to be anywhere near her sulking self. He huffed. She had not changed one bit. She was still that clingy and weak girl she had been before. He inwardly snorted. To think _he_ was actually afraid of _her_? What a joke.

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when nothing came out. _I can't do this, it's to hard._

"Yes, Sakura." he said through clenched teeth.

"Want to hang out? It's almost sun down and we could enjoy-" _Make up something quick!_ "Mochi." _Really? Really Sakura really?_

"I don't like sweets._" _he stared her down. This was stupid. Did she not get the hint the other times she tried to ask him? And look at her standing there like she was the most innocent girl in the world and did not waste his time by looking for her. Like she did not just break out of a hospital.

_Save yourself, dammit! _"Then! Then we could go to a shop and buy tomato soup." _You just dug a bigger hole._ Her smile came out strained.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes suspiciously. _How could she have known I like tomatoes_? But then sighed. O_f course, you forget she is one of your number one fan girls. How could she not? _He refrained from rolling his eyes. But then a idea formulated in his head and he had to keep a sinister smile from spreading on his face. He stretched his hand out toward her to take hers. _If I can keep her with me long enough, I can take her to the Hokage tower, not that I have to worry. She can not resist this. She will take my hand in no time._

Sakura eyed his hand with scrutiny and drew her hand back. He was acting way to kind for her taste. _He is trying to lure me toward something. _She bore her eyes into his and frowned when he flinched, his hand somewhat faltering. _Nice try Sasuke, but I am not stupid nor rabid. I know when something is up and what's up is now. _"Are you okay?" she said instead.

He gritted his teeth and refrained from gripping his arm who gave a slight tremble. "I'm fine." She watched him for a bit, hating how her eyes were able to unsettle him, and gave a slight nod. _Take the damn hand. Why aren't you taking it!_

She did not fall for it. His face was excellent at hiding his discomfort, however his body was not. His neck muscles were tense. His hands were itching to dig into his arm. His back was stiff and he was curling his toes. During one of Tsunade's lessons. She had learned that the best way to bring down an opponent was to observe, analyze and deduce their body language. She said this was mostly common sense, but people who failed to have the knowledge ready to apply, failed come with a valid deduction. Most ninjas just used what they randomly picked up, but most serious ninjas read and researched. She just happen to be one of those and it was mandatory when one was a medic-nin.

Her eyes scanned every inch of her surroundings. "You know what. On second thought," she let her hand fall to her side. "I am just gonna go." she moved to leave when Sasuke grabbed her wrist causing her to wince. _What is it with people today and my appendages!_

Sasuke noticed her discomfort and inwardly smirked. _Hope it hurts_. She deserved it for making a fool out of him two weeks ago. For making him miss two weeks worth of missions and disrupting his training. For giving that orange loving moron the upper hand. For possibly ruining his chance from ever getting his revenge and killing his wretched brother. He gripped her wrist tighter.

"Sasuke, let go." she winced and tried to wiggle out of his grip. This just drove Sasuke to go further. He glared at her. _Where the hell are your tears. Cry you good-for-nothing dead-weight!_

Sakura's eyes widen when the his eyes began to morph into those ruthless eyes that aimed to kill her. "Let go!" her heart rammed in her chest. He was taking on the personality of his future self. He was going to hurt her and she felt disgust writhe within her, but drowned out the feeling. She had to stay in character or she would just get herself into unnecessary consequences.

Sasuke smirked at the fear in her eyes. She had cause him fear and had caused him humiliation and that was unforgivable. Uchihas do not feel fear, they spread it. The bone beneath his hand rubbed against its counter-part and brought Sakura to her knees.

White dots exploded in her vision and felt her blood boil. She glared at Sasuke. _Screw staying character. _She fisted her free hand and punched him between his legs. That was a low move, but right now she did not care.

Sasuke's eyes bulged out of their sockets and he let go of her wrist. He cupped his throbbing member and his knees collided with the ground. He hunched over, trembling. Sakura quickly scrambled to her feet and massaged her wrist, noting the bruise that had begun to form.

Sasuke stiffened when he felt the similar intense anger flood around him. He slowly looked up and froze when he caught glance of her flaring emeralds. Her arms were crossed over chest, almost cradling her injured wrist. "You ever grab me like that again, I will tear you a fucking new one." her sunken cheeks and pale skin almost made her look eidolic.

He ducked his head and cringed when she leaned forward. He looked up in surprise to find she had extended a hand out to him. His eyes stared at it before they narrowed into slits and he slapped it away. "Don't touch me." he snarled. She brought him down to his knees again. God, he despised her. How can a useless girl like her manage to do this to _him?_

She rolled her eyes at the arrogant Uchiha and leaned down to grab his hand. "I am not asking." she pulled him up his feet. He glared at her and felt a pang of guilt when she hissed in pain. She massaged her wrist. "What did you really want from me."

This caught him off-guard. "What?"

"Why else would you even be standing near me. You want something. Spill."

He watched her for a moment. Two weeks ago, she was the same old overbearing affectionate and weak Sakura he had known since the academy. She, followed by a group of ear-shrieking girls, followed him around. Offering him things, squealing about him, annoying him.

They tried to talk to him. Get him to open up. Offer him their lunch, like a group of squealing pigs. Always breaking into tears when he would reject them. Did it not get through their thick skulls that he did not have wedding bells and ankle bitters flooding his head?

She was so obvious with her affection that it was almost _sickening_ how someone would go so far get his attention. She was irritating. She seemed to have no goals in life. She hardly trained, granted she was intelligent. There was no reliability during dangerous missions. She was mentally weak, sensitive and overly emotional. She was physically useless and disappointing.

He really could not fathom why she desired to be a ninja in the first place when she did not train as hard as he or even that idiot did. She held them back even in a simple D rank mission. If it was not that annoying loud mouth, it was her.

There just no progress in her skills. Arid. There was no effort in their training sessions. It is like she was just there to be with him. He could careless about her. What _bothered_ him was if she had enough time for him, enough time to flirt, enough time to constantly get in his way. Should she not have time to learn a jutsu or two? Work on her stamina for God's sakes!

"Kakashi wanted me to bring you to the Hokage tower."

Sakura looked at him and he gritted his teeth. "Fine. Lead the way."

They walked, the sun was setting and the sky was darkening. None of them said a word. Sasuke walked slightly behind Sakura. He frowned.

But that morning, _that_ Sakura died and _this_ Sakura was born. It is like she retained her memories, but told her personality to piss off.

He watched her nurse her wrist. This Sakura almost had a _feral_ look in her eye, like there was brute force behind that weak looking body of hers. She had manage to shake him to his core. Manage to affect him like when he discovered his mother and father drenched in a pool of their own blood. When his loving brother revealed himself in the moonlight.

But he could not understand _why_. Why _her_. Why this _pathetic_, overly _emotional_, weak, _useless_ girl terrified him. Why was it that one hour before she fell asleep, her eyes were just eyes. But now they were something _unhallowed. _

_Page 1_


	6. My books surcease of sorrow

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto. (Continue.)

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_Chapter V: This Apple and thus not Raven_

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_Part 2_

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There was a commotion from behind the door. Sakura watched Sasuke step in front of her and turn the knob. The room immediately went silent and Sakura felt an array of affinities as she stepped through the threshold. She was surprised to find Ino and the rest of Team Ten there. Ino's face was buried into Asuma's vest while he rubbed circles on her back, Shikamaru leaned against the wall staring at her in slight disbelief and the chips fell from Chōji's mouth. She jumped when she felt a spark bite her arm. She looked to the side and found Kakashi casting her a dark look from behind his book.

Sasuke move behind her and stood next to Kakashi. His eyes were cold, but a small smirk played on his lips. _Goddamn bastard is enjoying this._

The door suddenly burst open and in came barreling a frantic and sweaty Naruto. Behind him were three disheveled children. Konohamaru's scarf was tattered at the end and stained. His shoes were caked in mud. Udon looked about ready to fall over. However Moegi looked worse out of everyone. Her hair was tousled, slipping out of her elastic bands, her shoes caked with mud and falling apart.

"Old man! Sakura has left the hospital! But I didn't want to tell you unless it was a last resort! But it has come to that cause I couldn't find her and-"

"Naruto." The Hokage's eyes slightly twitched at his choice of address. "Sasuke has found her."

Naruto's head whipped around toward Sasuke so fast, Sakura thought it might snap off and fly out the window. He stared at him like fish out of water, but growled and pointed an accusing finger, unable to process a insult when Sasuke smirked at him. He then stiffened and slowly turned his head towards her. He took in her pale skin and sunken cheeks. Her red rimmed eyes and bandaged up head. Boney fingers and bruised wrist. His eyes saddened "Sakura..."

Sakura flinched when his eyes caught hers. They looked uncannily like his future self's and she bit her lip. His eyes trailed away from her and fell to the array of cuts that decorated her arms and legs. Panic reached his eyes. "Sakura! What happened! Did you get hurt!"

She inwardly kicked herself when she felt ten pairs of eyes stare at her form. Funny how Naruto would take notice of such detail, but Sasuke would miss it completely. _Come up with something quick! _"Trees can be nasty buggers." she laughed sheepishly, but felt a shudder crawl down her back when an eye bore into her back and the crackling sensation intensified so much so Naruto's whirlpool did not calm it.

The blush-haired girl looked toward her teacher and almost stepped back at the murderous look he gave her. Kakashi's posture looked aloof, but the deathly grip he had on the book said otherwise. _Don't lie._

Sarutobi watched them in concern. Kakashi was furious with his student and by the looks of it, Sakura could very well tell. He hoped Kakashi did not grow cold toward her. _Grow to resent her.._

"Sakura.."

The said girl looked toward Ino who rubbed her blood-shot eyes._ Was she crying? _She watched in alarm when she marched up to her face before she struck her cheek. Sakura's head snapped to the side, her eyes wide with shock.

Everyone in the room looked on, stunned. Sakura felt Ino wrap her arms around her and her face buried into the crook of her neck. Her words tickled and vibrated against her skin. "_Don't you ever do that to me again you hear?" _Sakura thickly swallowed and found herself nodding without second thought. "_Don't make me cry over you. Don't make me worry about you._"

Sakura locked eyes with Asuma and felt her throat constrict when he shook his head in disappointment. She closed her eyes when she felt them burn, but opened them and stared at the ceiling in hope they would stay there.

Shikamaru closed his eyes and muttered 'troublesome'. Chōji, for the first time in his life, rolled up his bag of chips and stuffed them in his pocket, earning a slightly stunned look from his teacher and narrowed his eyes at the blush-haired girl. She had caused pain to the blond-haired girl. He did not like Ino very much because she was bossy, but the last few weeks he has been with her, he has grown to like her. But this girl not only worried her, but left her depressed for almost two weeks and that was just simply unforgivable.

Naruto could not help but to feel sad and disappointed. He was disappointed because she left and worried him half to death with the prospect that someone might had really broken in and taken her away. He was sad because she caused so much worry and panic for her to brush it off as if it did not matter. He sniffed, trying to discreetly wipe away the tears that cascaded down his cheeks. Konohamaru approached Naruto and frowned when he found him repeatedly wiping his eyes. His vision left Naruto and went to Sakura, who was staring at the ceiling like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. He clenched his fist. She must have been the reason why his friend was so down in the dumps. He narrowed his eyes, he hated that wretched ugly hag! She looked like she had not bathed or eaten in months!

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest. He felt satisfaction in the watching her struggle to keep her tears at bay. His smirk grew more sinister. _You deserve every bit that is coming to you._ She made a fool out him. She humiliated him earlier in the street and that fateful day. She dared to threaten him and elude him. Wasted his time and pulled him behind on schedule. _You deserve every last bit. _His fingers rapped against his arm. Ino slowly looked at Sakura when she did not utter anything else. She found her staring at the ceiling as if she trying to find something. Ino looked down at her form and took a sharp intake of breath. There was a ring of purple bruises around her neck, like if someone had tied a noose.

"Sakura...did you try to kill yourself!" Sakura immediately locked eyes with her. "Your neck Sakura! Don't play stupid!"

Sakura felt herself being wrenched around and found herself staring into panicked eyes of Naruto, whose skin had become three shades lighter. She felt his fingers brush against her neck and she jerked away. "Sakura why!" She looked in alarm to find anger in his eyes. She lifted up her hands and felt her neck. _Damn it Gaara. _Sakura looked around her and found looks of disbelief and disappointment. She could not take it any longer.

"Just_ stop_! I didn't!"

She felt the crackling signature move next to her and a colossal hand seized her arm. She winced and was made to lock eyes with her teacher. "Oh really? Then what do you call this?" his voice was dangerously calm. "Was it the trees again? Did they wrap around your neck and bruise you too?" Sakura felt tears fall from her eyes when he tightened the grip on her arm.

"Kakashi! Stop that! You're hurting her!" Naruto growled and moved to jump him, but Sasuke held him back.

Kakashi ignored him. He leaned in close and spoke to her ear. "Or did you decided to tie a rope around your neck and jump off the branch." She squirmed and wrenched herself out of his grip. She was breathing hard and was cradling her arm. Kakashi could not help to feel disgust toward her. He tried to compromise, but all he saw was red. She not only scared him half to death today and cause a out pour of negative emotions. But she decided to end her life, after she came into his and made him care. After he had pushed away those reluctant emotions away. She thought she could just come in and walk out of his life, like the day leaves a fish, then she was mistaken.

"I did not try to commit suicide." she bit out every word. Sasuke and Naruto stiffened when they felt that familiar wave of emotion. Sakura looked around. "_Why _is it so hard to believe!" She grabbed Ino's head and made her look at her. "You believe me right?" Sakura bore her emeralds into her green.

"I.."

"If you didn't try what was it? What caused that ring of bruises." Shikamaru had pushed himself off the wall and was looking bored. He crossed his arms over chest waiting for an answer, but she could not provide it. If she were to say she encountered Gaara of the Sand and that he tried to kill her. She not only be putting Gaara into trouble, but the invasion might commence earlier than it did in the other time-line. As much as she wanted to say something, it would not be right. Things always happen for a reason and she will not mess with that order. Even if it meant a loss of another. Because as of now, every choice she has made against has been turning her life into a living hell.

But she held her head high, because she promised. Gaara will change is heart and Naruto will help him. Not her or the Hokage or his friends, but him. She will not take that friendship away from him, it just was not right. Sakura let her hands fall to her side and closed her eyes. There were gasps all around the room.

"Sakura no..." She turned around and looked into the eyes of a defeated Naruto. Sasuke loosened his hold and Naruto slumped to the floor. Sakura watched him with sad eyes and kneeled to comfort him.

"Now, now. I do not believe Sakura would just want to up and leave her life." frown Sarutobi and Sakura found her hope lift a little.

"Don't touch him." Sakura looked up at Kakashi who glared at her. "As of now, you are not my student anymore."

"Kakashi." the Hokage warned but was completely ignored.

Sakura felt her eyes widen and Naruto jumped to his feet and yelled at him "Hey! You can't do that!"

"He can Naruto, although I think it's rather drastic." The Hokage sent Kakashi a frown.

"You are banned from Team Seven. If you are within the radius of _my_ students and our training grounds, I will have you arrested."

Sakura felt her heart drop to her stomach and a tension pain slowly nag at her temples, she gritted her teeth. "You can't do that! You can't banned me from seeing my friends! You have no right-"

"I have every right to drop you." he growled.

"This is completely _ridiculous_! I didn't try to kill myself or hang myself or whatever!" she glared at him "And you have no right to sever_ my_ bonds with _my_ friends!"

"Don't raise your voice at me!"

"Well as of now you are not my teacher! So why should it matter!" she screamed at his face.

Silence took the room as they watched. Sakura's cheeks turned red from anger and slightly faltered when a hurt look flashed through his eye before he turned away from her and headed toward the door. He paused, his back to her. "If they assign another person while you are on probation. You will never be apart of Team Seven again." he stepped out and closed the door behind him.

Ino felt terrible. She had managed to get Sakura kicked off her team. _All because I had to overreact, but can you blame me? She tried to kill herself._ If she had problems why did she not come to her? _Because you two severed your friendship remember?_

Sakura's hands itched to retrieve a kunai and chuck it at the door where his head had once been. Naruto gaped and looked at the Hokage. "What do you mean he can! He can't do that to Sakura! We need her, she is a part of our team!"

Sasuke snorted and Sakura directed her glare at him. "On the contrary." he glared at her back. "She needs _me_. Sakura may be smart, but battle wise she is _weak_. " he smirked at her and she found herself wishing to crush his skull in.

"And Naruto needs her." commented Shikamaru offhandedly. "If you have forgotten. Naruto was one of the worst students in our graduating class. He would benefit from her as she from him."

"Sakura needs you as much as Naruto needs her. Those two balance themselves out." sighed the Hokage. "And as much as it is true, I wouldn't make such emphasis on someone else's faults." he looked directly at Sasuke. "Who knows, she might turn out to be a powerful ninja."

Sasuke crossed his arms and muttered 'hardly'

"What did you say Uchiha? _Don't_ start with me or you will regret it."

Sasuke looked slightly taken aback but recovered "You better watch yourself. Touch me and you will get arrested." he mocked.

Sarutobi watched the two sides argue. _There is already tension within this Team. Naruto had a strong rivalry with Sasuke, while Sakura stood in the middle, but now Sakura had developed so much anger in such a short time. _He watched Naruto stand in the middle, unable to decide what to do. _I wonder..._

Ino watched them both glare at each other in surprise. Sakura had a crush on Sasuke. She would never threaten him. She would never dare yell at him. She would always blushed when he was around and gushed about him at the academy. They broke their friendship and proclaimed each other rivals over him. They kept their hair long because of him.

"_Ino, I heard Sasuke likes girls with long hair." a young Sakura smiled down at her._

But now..

"_We are rivals from now on." a young Sakura turned her back to her._

"_Your hair has gotten pretty long, Ino."_

"_What do you want, Sakura!"_

"_Ha! I'll tell you something interesting." she smirked at her, "I'm now on the same team as Sasuke."_

"_Huh!"_

_Sakura's expression turned serious. "I won't loose to you anymore."_

"_It's the same for me." she stared back with just as much determination."I'll never loose to you no matter what."_

But now here she stood staring him down. Here she was yelling and threatening him. She stared at him with not a blush on her face or smile on her lips. Her hands itching to reach into her pouch just as his. Her eyes dark and full with anger toward _him_. This picture was just too bizarre to grasp.

She watched on in alarm when she got into his face, like two stags fighting over a doe. He flinched but gritted his teeth and stood his ground. "Back off, I am warning you."

If there was one thing Sasuke hated in his life, it was his brother. But now what he hated more in his life than his wretched brother who took his family away and left him alone to rot was her damn eyes. He smirked "And you'll do what?" The Sharingan struck fear in those who looked into them. His onyx eyes brought uncertainly and suspicion to his audience. Yet her bright emerald managed to strike fear in him. He briefly wondered if it was only him, but that idea just made him angrier.

She narrowed her eyes into slivers and saw red. She reached for his shirt and fisted his collar. "I said don't_ fuck_ with me. I am not in the mood to take your crap." she was vaguely aware she was going to pay for this later, but consequences be damn. She was pissed.

He gripped her wrist, which he noticed was the bruised one. He felt satisfaction when she cried out in pain, but his heart skip a beat when she narrowed her eyes into slits. She reached for a kunai with her free hand but he caught her wrist. "Nice try."

The Hokage sprung from his seat, slamming his hands on the desk. "Enough." his voice boomed, surprising the people in the room. He huffed, he had not use that tone of voice in a long time. "I will not have this in my office. Both of you separate"

Ino approached Sakura and with a trembling hand touched her shoulder, but yanked it back when she flinched. "Sakura just let go, c'mon..I-I'll walk you home." she let out a breath she did not know she was holding when Sakura let of of his shirt. The fabric was stretched and crinkled from her grip.

"Let go you bastard!" yelled Naruto.

"Sasuke let her go." Sarutobi ordered.

Sasuke glared down at her who looked up in defiance. He gritted his teeth. "This isn't over." he whispered and let both her wrist go, but not before he gave them a squeeze.

Ino slipped her hand in Sakura's and walked passed Sasuke, dragging the blush-haired girl with her. Sakura bumped shoulders with the raven-haired boy and was about to snap at him but Ino yanked her away.

Sasuke looked over his shoulder and glared at her back as it disappeared into the shadows of the hall. He was seething. Azuma watched his student walk off with Sakura and let out a deep sigh. _This Team seriously has issues. _He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, smacking them against his palm before he slipped one out. He was about light it up until he saw the annoyed look his father gave him and he slipped the stick back in his pocket.

"Shikamaru, Chōji lets go. Konohamaru, lets take your friends back to their parents. They are probably worried." Konohamaru was about to protest but Naruto smiled down at him and slightly patted his back so he could run along. Azuma sighed and ruffled Naruto's head as he walked by. _Good luck, kid._ He walked out the door. _Kakashi, you idiot._

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_End of Chapter: V_

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Well there you have it. There are more chappies to come before I start school. (I might even end up writing them up anyway) Don't worry. Oh! And thank you The Ghost of Insanity for the insight. You had me tempted with the idea of Gaara also sucked from the future, but the confrontation was already written and it creates more drama for Sakura, so I stuck with the idea of her being alone in this. (Cause I also had the feeling it was going to become Gaasaku if I did. Not that there anything wrong with it, (*whispers* I like it myself.) but I am not really into romance and the fic would not go in the direction I want it to. Cause it is somehow suppose to stick to canon as much as possible but not really, you get me?) (I suppose I mean like the scenario if they were sucked back in time, the characters would act the same but the out of time-line person wouldn't? Ah no so many time paradoxes, must stop before I go into the philosophy of it. AND yes the philosophy will be explained. _Later_) And about Kakashi addressing her injuries toward the performance of the team, that is planned to happen, but thank you anyway, although can't give to much away.

But! I thank the rest of the reviewers for taking time and giving me feedback. Until next time.

Just know most of these chapters are written so many at a time but I like to check them over and over so they are okay. So yesh. Ah! in a few hours I start collage. ha ha... I am actually more worried about finding my classes than the actual classes themselves. There are so many buildings.

there will be more chapters like I said. So there will be another soon. It might be a bit melodramatic, but considering the '_episode_' she had before, everyone can't help but to link it to that and suicide.


	7. Chamber Door

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto. (Y'll like long chapters of angst?)

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_Chapter VI: Five Million Ravens are Black._

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_Eleven days ago._

_Ino stood under the hot sun, watering a cluster of white lilacs. Costumers greeted her as they entered in and out of the shop. She carefully untangled the clump of Common Mallow when her father stepped out of the shop and called for her. "Ino, we are closing the shop."_

"_Alright, I'll be there in a minute." she called, she could loose track of time tending the flowers. She sighed and wiped the sweat off her brow. She smiled down at a little pink flower who stood amongst a cluster of white daisies. A small blush-haired girl briefly flashed in her mind, but she frowned and shook her head. Crossing her arms over her chest "Why am I thinking of _her_ of all people." she glared down at the little flower as it swayed with the rest of the daisies _

"_Oh watching him work out is so..ah!"_

"_His body is just so..enticing"_

_Ino's ears immediately perked up at the mere mention of a attractive boy. She rounded around the colorful bouquets of flowers and peeked behind some daffodils. She spotted three girls around her age sitting around a table, gushing about. _

"_It is, but that loud mouth. So annoying."_

"_Yeah! He is always getting in the way of Sasuke."_

"_I think he is rather cute."_

"_Oh shut up! I know you did not just say that."_

"_Anyway, did you hear about their teammate?"_

"_Yeah it is terrible."_

_Ino found herself feeling dread._

"_No, what happened?"_

"_Apparently she was training and her head struck a rock. She is now at the hospital, slipped into a coma right away."_

_Ino gasped and put a hand over her mouth, but then looked at her hand in disgust and made her way into the shop, picking up her watering pot on the way. Why would I care. We are not friends anymore. She jumped, startled, when she almost ran into her father._

"_Oh good, I was just coming to get you." he smiled down at her, but then frowned. "Is there something wrong sweetly?"_

_She gave him a bright smile and shook her head, her ponytail swaying. "No, dad. Nothing's wrong. It is just really hot outside." she laughed. She could tell he did not believe her, but felt herself relax when he nodded and did not push any further._

"_Alright, well lets finish up so we could head on to dinner." she nodded and skipped away not noting how her father watched after her, his eyes laced with concern._

_**-x-**_

_Ino rested her cheek on her fist, pushing around the food on her plate. She just could not get herself to eat. She knew better than to believe in rumors. Even though she gossiped half the time. She sighed. _

"_Ino is there something the matter? You haven't even eaten your food." Ino jumped and looked down at her plate. She had been lost in her thoughts too long that she had meshed her food together making it look unpalatable. She huffed and pushed away her plate._

"_No, it just. I have to watch my weight. I think I am gaining way too many pounds." she tighten her ponytail and picked off the invisible lint on her clothes._

_Her father gave an exasperated sigh and eyed her. "Honey, I think you loose anymore and you will be a stick." _

"_Daddy, I'll be fine I know what I am doing, besides how am I going to get a cute boy if I am looking ugly?" _

_Inoichi eyes widen and the food caught his throat. Ino watched in alarm and scrambled from her seat, running to the kitchen. "I'll get you a glass of orange juice!" she returned and he grabbed it from her hands, greedily gulped it down and the color returned from his cheeks. He stared ahead of himself for a while. Ino watched him with amusement clearly written on her face and clasped her hands behind her back. "Feeling better?" he looked up at her and gave her a small glare. She could not help but to giggle "Sorry daddy."_

"_Ino, never do that again." he scolded her and she giggled. Her father was simply too adorable. "I mean it, Ino."_

"_Yes daddy." she leaned in and gave him a peck on his cheek before she plopped back in her seat. She looked down at her plate. It was silent before she spoke up. "Dad?"_

"_Yes honey?"_

_She bit her lip. Why was she bringing this up? "I heard Sakura got in an accident."_

"_Oh no. How is she?"_

_Ino continued to look down at her pallet of food. "She is in an coma."_

_There was silence and Ino was not sure what her father was thinking or how he was looking, but felt his fingers lift her chin up to lock eyes with him. "Is that what has been bothering you today?" his eyes and voice were laced with concern. She bit her lip harder. _

_Why would it bother her? Why would it not leave her alone? Sakura was the one who broke off the friendship, not her. She hurt her. After she became such good friends with her. After she helped her see what a cute looking girl she actually was. After protecting her from Ami and her gang. After helping her gain confidence._

_And then she just happens to have a crush on the same guy I like. Oh Sasuke you're really hot, but you caused so much turmoil between us. She then frowned and kicked out the thought. See what you've done forehead girl. You are making me doubt Sasuke. Ugh! You're so infuriating!_

_Then a pang of guilt overwhelmed her chest. But what if she did have an accident and was in the hospital now? A quick mental picture of a full body cast Sakura came in mind. Her arms and legs behind supported by support slings._

_Ino jerked her head away from her father's hand, not catching the hurt look that flashed through his eyes. No, she wouldn't. Blinking away the image. She said she would not loose to me anymore, that could not possibly happen to her. Those girls were lying. _

_She snorted, "No, it's not true. It was some stupid rumor." she crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose high, "And even if it _was_ true, that _Billboard Brow_ is nothing to me since the day we ended our friendship."_

_But do I believe that myself?_

**-x-**

_two days later._

_Ino sat in the hospital lobby, legs crossed and hands clasped on her lap. She watched her father speak with the woman at the front desk. She honestly did not know what they were doing here. Her father was wasting his time trying to prove that the billboard brow was enrolled here._

"_C'mon, I told him a million times that I don't care what happens to her. She is _not _my friend anymore. We hate each other and are enemies." she muttered under her breath, ignoring when he looked over his shoulder and gave her a reprimanding look._

_She then frowned, but the reason why they were there in the first place was because she kept having doubts and kept coming back to the 'maybe'. Maybe the girls were right. Maybe she did really care more for Sakura than she led on. Maybe she wants to be friends with her again. But just as _that_ thought rolled around, Ino went back to being stubborn._

"_I don't want to be friends with her. I don't ever want to be associate with her again!" she grounded her teeth, earning odd looks from the people in the lobby and her father. Ino fought back the blood that rushed to her cheeks. That forehead girl had managed to humiliate her in public without her being present to do so! So embarrassing! She huffed. _

_She then grind her teeth when she noticed the empty seats around her. She had managed to scare everyone into moving away from her. She scowled and crossed her arms over her chest, further shaking her leg. _

_Her father took a seat next to her and passed her a visitor sticker. "Well, they said to wait a couple minutes. A nurse will then come to escort us."_

"_I am not going."_

"_Ino," Inoichi started._

"_I am not going in there. You can go visit whoever you claim is in there and I will wait for you here." _

"_Ino, your friend is in there and it would be kind of you to-"_

"_She is not my _friend,_" Ino gritted her teeth, "and besides, she is not here. She's probably at home stuffing her face or shinning her big brow."_

_She did not know why her father was being so stubborn about this. Why could he not accept that her rival was not here nor that she wanted to even pay her visit? Unaware that her father wondered the same thing. She knew that she was probably annoying her father, but it was just she honestly did not want to admit that maybe..quite possibly she was starting worry. She huffed for the second time today and crumbled her visitor sticker. _

_Inoichi gave a exasperated sigh and rubbed his face. She ignored the look he sent her way and threw the crumbled sticker in the air, but pouted when he caught it. A nurse emerged from the metal doors, carrying a clipbroad. "Mr. Yamanaka?"_

_Inoichi uncrumpled the sticker and he slipped it into her hand. "If you are so sure that she is not in there, then come with me and prove me wrong." with that he stood up and made his way over to the nurse._

"_Mr. Yamanaka?"_

"_Yes, that's me."_

"_Please come with me."_

_Ino watched her father follow the young woman through the hallow metal doors. She huffed and looked the other way. Not being able to take the nagging feeling, she ripped the sticker off its paper and slapped it on her chest, grumbling as she pushed her way through the doors. "Wait until I prove you wrong." she caught up with her father; completely ignoring his attempt to hold her hand. "I am twelve dad, not two." she crossed her arms over chest and 'humphed'._

_They walked through a series of halls after they walked up a stairwell. They stood in front of room B13. The nurse smiled gently and stepped away from the door, disappearing down the hall. Ino stared at the looming door, feeling somewhat nervous. Beads of sweat seemed to pour down her head. Her heart sounded loud in her ears. Everything else seemed to fall away in a black abyss and it was just her and the door._

_Ino..came a distant voice. She knew that voice._

"_Ino." she jumped under her father's palm. She looked at him. "Are you okay?"_

_She glared at the door in front of her and turned the knob, pushing it open. "Yes and you will see that I am right and you are wr-" the next words were stuck in her throat when her gaze landed upon Sakura's prone form. She felt the blood drain from her face and her mind went blank. Sakura was completely discolored. Her skin almost yellow and her body stiff. Ino found herself walking toward her bed and standing over her body. She tentatively reached out and grasped her hand which was warm under her touch._

_A image of a young blush-haired girl crossed her mind. She stood in a field of flowers, spinning as petals from a nearby sakura tree danced around her. She stopped and held down her white sun hat that almost flew off her head._

"_Do you think I'll make a pretty flower, Ino?" _

_Ino looked up at her face as if expecting for her to react. "Sakura? Can you hear me?"_

"_You bloomed into a beautiful flower."_

"_Honey she can't hear you, her Glasgow scale is pretty severe." _

_Ino was vaguely aware her father was talking to her and calling her name. She shook Sakura, trying to get her to wake up. She felt hands trying to restraint her but she just shook them off and continued to shake her. Her nails dug into her hospital gown as she gripped her shoulders and shook her violently._

"_Ino, stop! She is not going to wake up!"_

"_She has to!" Ino found herself yelling at her father's face. She was not aware of the tears that streamed down her face or the slightly crazed look in her eyes. "She has to! She wasn't going to loose to me anymore! How is she going to do that if she is asleep! If she is dead!"_

_She could not be close to death. No! She has to respond. She had to. "Sakura!" but her head just lolled to the side. She lifted her hands to her mouth and whimpered. Backing away from her. "She is not waking up! She is not." _

_She felt her father turn her around and she crashed her face into his shirt, muffling her anguished cries. Her knees buckled and her father kneeled down with her, whispering sweet nothings into her ear and rubbing soothing circles on her back._

_Now_

"Ino."

Ino gasped and turned around to her worried father. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she failed to sense him behind her.

"Are you okay, honey?"

The blond nodded and turned away from him, looking out their apartment window. The bright morning sun shined through the sky and civilians down below went about their daily business. She slipped a lock behind her ear and reached to touch the surface of the warm glass. "Yeah, I am fine." she paused "I am going to go visit Sakura today."

Inoichi watched his daughter helplessly. Since yesterday he had been worried about her. She had left the shop so suddenly with desperation in her eyes that could only intensify as she paced in her room back and forth when she returned from where ever she ran off to.

He had tried to ask her what was wrong, but she would only shake her head and dismiss it as nothing. This isolation felt a lot worse than it did when she had discovered Sakura was in a coma that Inoichi felt at a loss as what to say or how to get her out of this shell she built around himself.

If Inoichi could guess he would say that it involved Sakura. It had been Sakura who had worried Ino to death. It had been Sakura who suddenly changed her demeanor. Now he was not angry at the poor girl, but he could not help to feel like it was somehow her fault.

_Hold it right there Inoichi._ His conscious rang. _Stop placing faults in things where it should not be_. In the midst of the scolding of his head, he failed to notice his daughter began speaking again.

"-and I don't know how long I'll be gone. Maybe not too long. Tell Shikamaru and Chōji that I left on a errand for you." She picked up her duffel and made her way toward the door.

"Eh? Wait! Honey! What do I tell them?" _Aw man, what did she say before?_

She caught the knob and turned to him. "Anything you want dad. I'll see you later!" her voice sung and she turned the knob, golden light from the outside flooded in, and she stepped out, shutting the door behind her. Inoichi mentally kicked himself for his stupidity.

_What kind of father am I if I can't keep my attention on her!_

**-x-**

Ino stood in front of the Sakura's apartment door. She had stood here the night before when she dropped her off. When she had wondered if the person she walked next to was actually her childhood friend and not a stranger.

_The girls passed through the shadows of the night and under the yellow spotlights of the lampposts in silence. None had said anything since they left the Hokage tower. Ino watched Sakura from the corner of her eye. She worried for the mentality of her friend. Deep down she was afraid that if she left Sakura home alone tonight, she might attempt something on herself. _

_Her chest tighten. Why did she not just come to her if she felt like the world was crashing down on her? Why did she not put that pride aside and ask for help? She did not care if they were not on the best terms! Sakura should have came to her! _

"_Ino relax." Sakura's voice startled her out of her thoughts and suddenly became aware that she was still holding the blush-haired girl's hand and in a death grip. Ino wrenched her hand away and tried to hide the embarrassment that surfaced. Sakura did not seem to notice and if she did; she did not voice it. She just stared straight head of her; her expression blank and her mind to herself._

_Ino avoided looking at her and fell a little behind. She wanted to ask her so many things, but she could not get herself to do so. Half of her was afraid of her reaction and the other half was afraid of what she might learn. Aniexty ate at her the longer they stayed in silence and walked. She felt like she did not know Sakura anymore. Even if they have not spoken in a long time, she knew Sakura would be the some old Sakura. Energetic, happy, bubbly and emotional. But this one just felt cold, aloof and apathetic. She felt like she did not know who she was walking with. A stranger. _

_Before Ino knew it they stood in front of Sakura's home. The blush-haired girl stood there for awhile, as if expecting Ino to say something. The blond bit her lip. She wanted to slam her against the door and demand answers, but all that she did was stand rooted in her spot. "Goodnight."_

_Sakura did not turn nor did she wait for Ino to add to her statement. She gave a short wave over her shoulder and opened the door, slipping into the shadows of her house and closing the door shut._

Ino sighed and lifted her fist to give a slight tap to the door only to miss it when the door swung open. Ino was greeted with Mrs. Haruno's bright smile who carried and stirred a large bowl of pancake batter. "Well good morning Ino! What can I do for you?"

"I came to see Sakura. Is she up?"

"No, but you can wake her. Please do come in." Mrs. Haruno moved aside and Ino stepped through the threshold. "She is upstairs. Oh and Ino?"

The said blond looked toward her and was surprised to see tears falling from the woman's eyes. She set down the pancake batter on a coffee table and pulled the blond into a hug. Ino felt her eyes go wide. "I want to thank you for bringing my baby home." she whispered to her. "It means so much to us." Mrs. Haruno pulled away and wiped the tears leaking from her eyes. "Oh look at me. I am probably scaring you." she laughed. "Well." she picked up the batter and continued stirring. "I leave you to it."

Ino dumbly nodded and watched the woman bound over to the kitchen, humming a happy tune to herself. Ino moved laterally toward the stairs and ascended up the flight of steps.

She stood at the door to Sakura's room. She felt nervous but why did she feel nervous? It was not something to feel nervous about. Was this how guys felt when they knew their girlfriend's dad was the one who was going to greet them? Wait why was she even thinking this! Ino took a deep breath and found her center. She stared at the door straight on and turned the knob.

A warm breeze blew from the open window and the green tea colored curtains swayed. Below the flutter lay Sakura's prone form bundled in sheets. Ino approached her, wincing at the creaking under her feet, and stood over Sakura. She was happy to note that she removed the guaze and her hair looked washed and silky. Ino sunk into the edge of the matress and she found herself smiling down at the blush-haired girl who looked so innocent as she slept. Ino felt herself slip into tranquility, but as soon as she thought it, soon did it vanish. Sakura moaned and stretched her arms. She fluttered her eyes open. "Hm? Ino, what are you doing here?"

Ino could not help but to feel stung, but pushed back her thoughts and smiled down at her. "I came to wake your ass up, silly. Finally brushed your teeth? It's about time! Cause your breath stunk." she teased, but felt her smile slip when she did not respond back.

Sakura propped herself on her elbows and puffed a pillow behind herself, setting her back against the wall. They said nothing and Ino began to feel uncomfortable. Sakura stared at the closet door across the room and Ino watched the creases on the sheets. The blond was instantly relieved when Mrs. Haruno bounded into the room with a tray full on pancakes and two glasses of orange juice.

"Hello honey! How was your sleep?" she set down the wooden tray table over Sakura's legs and poured the syrup on her pancakes.

"I slept well, thanks mom." she gave the woman a forced smile.

"I am glad they released you and I am happy Ino guided you safely home." she carded her hands through her blush locks.

Sakura ignored the suspicious look Ino sent her and took a bite out of the pancake, almost immediately her stomach growled for more. "You look like a skeleton!" Mrs. Haruno chide "Didn't they feed you anything?"

"They mostly only give supplement pills to comatose patients." she cut another piece of the pancake. "To keep them from dying of dehydration or malnutrition, however it is never as effected as actual food protein." she continued on, not realizing it was a rhetorical question. She looked up and mentally kicked herself when they sent her surprised looks. "Um..I read it in a book." she excused. She looked down at her food and quaffed her orange juice.

"That is my Sakura for you! You should consider studying to be doctor and leave this ninja business to your teammates."

Sakura stiffened and Ino wondered if she even knew her friend anymore.

"Well I'll let you think about it. I'll be downstairs if you need me." she gave her daughter's head a small peck and left the girls alone in the room.

"Why did you l-"

"I couldn't tell her that truth. What? That I was kicked off my team-" Ino inwardly winced, "-and that I left the hospital? No, she would be thrilled of the prospect that I never have a chance of going on a 'dangerous' mission. Like people don't die of random heart attacks." she glared at her pancakes. "It is one happiness I never wish to grant her."

Ino stared at her in surprised and looked down, fiddling with the hem of her top. "Stop Ino. It is not important now." the blond looked up at her. "It's in the past. Just leave it alone." Sakura sighed at the dejected look still present on her face. She was a little bitter toward everyone who actually believed her to be a suicidal manic depressive. The blush-haired girl dipped her fingertip into the syrup and reached over to Ino, smearing it on the tip of her nose. "I am not mad." she smiled at the girl but Ino still could not help but to still feel responsible.

Seeing there was no point in dwelling in this, Sakura tried to change the subject. "So what are you going to do this morning?" she watched her and took a large gulp from her glass of orange juice.

Ino ripped a piece off her pancake "Meet my team and train.." she mentally kicked herself for bringing the subject back up, but she did not voice it. Instead she reached over to Sakura and flicked a lock away that obscured the brusing on the side of her forehead. She gasped at the macabre stitches that crossed the side of her brow. They were damaged and sinking under the skin. "Sakura..."

"I fell from my bed. Tangled myself over the IV cord." Ino winced " and smacked myself some where. They don't look as bad as they did last night." and had the sinking feeling she was not telling the entire truth. Ino felt suffocated in this whirl of anxiety and worry. There were so many questions running through her head. What happen to make her want to end her life? Sakura was smarter than that. She knew better and if she did not, why did she not tell anyone? Was it her team? Her teacher? What happen to her childhood friend? Her rival?

Ino took a deep breath and broke the silence. "So...does this mean you don't like Sasuke anymore?"

Sakura paused for a second and did not look up, though she was clearly annoyed. "Could we not bring him up so early in the morning?" she stabbed into her food and chewed on it bitterly. Then she paused, her fork midway toward her mouth.

Ino watched in alarm as the blush-haired girl visibly paled. "Sakura? Are you okay? You are not looking so good."

Sakura felt her stomach grumble and churn, she felt bile rise up her throat. Her fork clattered on her plate and both her hands covered her mouth. "I think I'm gonna be sick." Ino instantly lifted the tray and Sakura slipped out of bed and ran out her bedroom door and into the bathroom. She slammed the door shut and bent over the bowl, retching morning's breakfast. She tried to calm herself to avoid choking on her own vomit. She grip the bowl with white clammy hands and continued to retch. Dry heaves left her throat burning and her nostrils flaring.

Her eyes watered and she clumsily pulled down the handle, flushing away the ordorless discharge. Sakura rested her head at the edge of the toilet bowl and panted. Her stomach felt empty and the cool surfuce of the bowl gave her light shivers. Her eyelids slipped closed.

This just proved her theory that she had been out more than one week's worth. With shaky hands she rose and gripped the counter. She turned on the faucet and cupped her hands under it, lifting it to her lips and rinsing away the bitter taste in her mouth. She turned off the water and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She glared at her reflection with resolve.

There was soft rapping at her bathroom door. "Sakura? Are you doing okay in there?" Ino's voice almost muffled behind the door.

Sakura's eyes flickered toward the closed window on the reflection of the glass. "Yeah..I'm fine."

Ino let out a sigh and hesitantly asked, "...can I come in?" she did not sit too well with the idea of her being alone in there with a possible razor under the mat. When there was no response, the blond worried if she had been too bold and had annoyed her in a way, but soon began to get restless when dark scenarios sparked into her mind. She was a little confident with her knock this time and called for Sakura.

"Sakura please open up." when all she met with was silence Ino turned the knob, surprised to find it was unlocked, and stepped into the room. "Damnit Sakura!" Ino narrowed her eyes and cursed. "You promised me." her eyes trailed up to the open window; the warm breeze from the outside fluttering the curtains in.

She jumped out the window and scaled the roof, glaring around for any sign of pink.

_You promised you wouldn't make me worry for you._

_

* * *

_

_End of Chapter VI_

_

* * *

_

Ah this was a s.o.b. What a bunch of balls.

But the Assassin's Creed Brotherhood soundtrack helped me along the way, especially in the next scenes. I sense Brotherhood Escapes in the mist.

Ah here is a bit of clearing for those who don't know. If you guys remember, which I believe is Chapter II and IV, there is brief mention about lilies. From what I know of them, this is self experience, lilies can last about one week or more after they have been cut. Lilies and orchids.

Another thing for those of you who are confused as to why Sakura suddenly threw up. When someone last with more than a week without food, their body will forcibly discharge whatever they have consumed few minutes after they have consumed it (in most cases it happens a second after) the reason is because they consumed it too quickly and too much. (there might be a deeper reason but here is my brief) (like in Sakura's case where she has been out for two weeks, being nutrition on nothing but supplement pills, and suddenly there is a change in diet. Her body was so use to eating low quantities that the new quantities were too heavy for the body to handle and pushed it back up)

Umm lets see. The top message was me messing with you. I am not sure if it was much angst. Oh here is the little calendar on this fic. Today would be Tuesday morning.

Don't mean for Ino to be annoying, I think she is going more into mother hen mode. Like Dean Winchester.

Ah don't forget to give me feed back. Feed-backs for me are like Wee!Sammy. Adorable! And and a widdle!Gaara.


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